Separated, but not Apart
by tiger002
Summary: It had been nearly two years since the twins were adopted by different families. Zack's life seemed to be going smoothly by this point, but he still longs for his brother and his old life
1. Chapter 1

It had been 623 days since I last saw my twin brother, Cody Martin, or whatever his last name is now. We were only 13 when we last saw each other, but I guess when people come willing to adopt teenage boys, it was a price we had to pay. Even so, everyday I think about him. People say it's hard to lose your brother, but even more so when he was your twin. With the combination of losing my brother, and my best friend all in one, just a few weeks after our parents died, no wonder depression began to consume me.

I guess it's all in the past now. After all that's happened, you could say I'm quite lucky. My new family loves me as if I was one of them. My little sister is annoying, but I guess they all are. Even if they can't relate directly to what I've been through, they have always been there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. They aren't my true mom or dad, and we all know that. We don't try to pretend that we are related by blood either. It's just easier this way.

With my new life friends and family, it sometimes seems so tempting to forget about the past, but I know they wouldn't want that. Mom did everything she could to raise us right, but even when we disobeyed, she loved us unconditionally. My new mom, Victoria is the same, but it's still Carey's voice in my head warning me whenever I do something bad. Even though I didn't see Dad much, he was still so much fun to be around. He was the fun parent; that was for sure. All those good times we shared will forever be in my memories. It's not like Bruce is a bad father, but he isn't like Kurt. One of these days, I might be able to let go of them, but not yet. I have to keep my promise to Cody.

"_I guess this is the last time we will see each other," I said._

"_For a while maybe, but I'm sure we will meet again," my brother responded._

"_How long though?"_

"_It's hard to say, with my family moving to Indiana soon and yours is staying here."_

"_I know."_

"_Promise me one thing though._

"_What?"_

"_We will never forget each other."_

"_I promise. I won't forget you Cody."_

That was the last time I saw him. I've tried several times to find him, but it seems like his family moves so often, that it's impossible. Each day I make sure to remember how long it has been since our final goodbye. Before my mind drifts to sleep, I make another mark on a notepad. Six pages, two rows and three marks. 623 days.

As I climb into bed, I wonder, will my dreams once again be filled with my old family. It seems like that's all they are. My mind keeps wishing that I could see them one last time. In my dreams, I'm always so happy that they are there and when I first awake, I keep thinking it's still real, but then reality brings me back down. Why can't just one of these dreams be real?

_

A/N: I came up with this idea in a dream last night, and thought it was worth writing down. This first chapter is really short, but it just introduces the plot. Please review telling me what you think of this, or if you have ideas for where this will go. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2: A dream, or something more?

A/N: I've received a lot of good feedback from the first chapter, so thanks. Sorry for the short chapters, but they should be getting longer soon.

Chap 2: A dream or something more?

My eyes closed, filtering out the light of the stars that continue to come through the window. Drifting away into a gentle slumber, all my worries and fears are forgotten. "Night Cody," were the last words to escape my lips that night. All the time in the same room made it a habit for me. Sometimes I swear I could hear a response from within my own mind.

I wondered where he was now. Was he enjoying the start of summer as much as me? Had his school gotten out the same time? Was he still the straight A student he always was? So many things could change in two years. I was too sleepy to keep thinking

* * *

I began lifting my eyes and saw a figure standing over me. In the darkness, he was hard to describe but as he saw me awaken, he gently sat on my bed. It was like looking at myself as I saw the same blond hair I see everyday in the mirror. He smiled at me as I gently began sitting up.

"Cody?" I groggily asked. He simply nodded at me in response. I could see into his eyes a similar happiness that I felt. However, I could also feel a slight pain. "Wait, is this just another dream?" I asked.

"Yea, it is," he responded. I had been able to catch myself dreaming before, but never like this. Normally I would just wake myself back up and try to dream of something less emotional, but why had this dream Cody admitted he wasn't real. If the real one was here, maybe he could explain. "This is a dream, but I am real." Now I have officially lost it. Dreaming about your twin makes sense but when that twin tells you it is a dream and then claims to be real, that is when you need to see Dr. Phil or something.

"What is going on here?"

"Don't try to think about it too much; otherwise your mind will wake you up." This keeps getting stranger. How is it possible for him to be real when this is only a dream? It does sound like him though. Not just the voice but also the words. Wait, he told me not to think, so I guess I will just listen to him.

"If you are real, then what are you doing in my dream."

"Wake up early and go to the park," he said, "And I mean my definition of early, not just before noon."

"Why?" As I asked that last question, I felt myself being torn from the dream. My mind could not process all of this information while remaining in the dream world. He along with my room began to fade. It was as if I was seeing but I could feel that my eyes were closed. I could move my real body along with the one in the dream. The border between sleep and reality was soon crossed and I found myself alone in my room once again. I gazed at the clock and noticed it was only four in the morning.

I should probably just ignore the dream. Why would this one be any different? What if it is though? If Cody really wants me to go to the park, why shouldn't I listen? If it's nothing, then all I will lose is a couple hours of sleep.

Leaning over, I set my alarm to wake me in a couple more hours. Until then, hopefully I can get some relaxing sleep.

* * *

Why does the alarm clock have to be so annoying? Couldn't it just wake me up without making that annoying sound? Still half asleep, I reached over and hit buttons on it until it turned off. I climbed out of bed and saw it was still dark outside. Cody, you are the only one I will get up this early during the summer for.

I turned the light on and walked over to my closet. After changing clothes, I walked down the stars to see my parents eating breakfast.

"You're up early Zack," Bruce said.

"Yea, my friend wanted me to meet him in the park." I thought it was best not to tell him I was only going because my dream told me to. They had always been willing to entertain my thoughts of seeing Cody again, as long as it didn't go too far. This time, they didn't need to know.

"You want some breakfast before we leave for work?"

"No thanks, Victoria. I'll find something when I get back."

"Careful honey. Love you," she said as I exited the door. The sun had just begun to rise as I left our house. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a three-bedroom house. My sister and I had our rooms upstairs while my parents' room kitchen and living room were downstairs.

As I walked along the sidewalk, I could tell it was going to be another hot day. Sweat was already dripping down my face from the short walk to the park.

Gazing around the area, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. All right Cody, why did you want me to come here?


	3. Chapter 3: Murder in the Park

A/N: Two chapters and this already has more story alerts, favorites, and more reviews per chapter than any of my other fics. I just hope I can keep up the good writing.

_I won't back down  
I will not bow  
I've come to bring you hell  
I can't forget  
Things you did  
I've come to bring you hell_

"_I won't back down" by fuel_

Chapter 3: Murder in the Park.

I continued looking around the park, for anything unusual. It was empty, as one would expect for 6:30 in the morning. Why would Cody send me here for nothing? With nothing here, there is no reason to stay, so I began to walk home, when I heard a scream in the distance. I didn't know what it was coming from, but something was wrong.

I ran across the park looking for the source of the noise. Could this be the reason Cody was calling me here? I didn't know, but since I came this far, so I had to see what was going on. Climbing up the slide, I had a good view of the park. In the distance, I saw them.

It looked like three people were standing around a fourth that was on the ground. In their fancy suits, the three appeared to be strong, muscular men. I thought I saw the reflection of a knife as the one slipped it into his pocket. They walked away from the man on the ground, and I could see blood flowing out from his body. They had just murdered him.

How could a person just heartlessly take a life like that? No remorse or anything, it makes me so furious. I won't let them just walk away like that.

After I climbed down the slide, I sprinted after them. "You think you can just walk away after murdering someone?" I said with as much hatred in my voice as possible.

"Someone saw us," one said.

"That won't matter once we silence him too," another one said pulling his knife back out. I really should have thought this through, but instead, it's time to put those karate lessons to use.

He ran at me trying to stab me, but I jumped to the side to dodge it. I tried kicking his arm to knock the knife away, but he grabbed my foot with his other hand. The idiot picked me up off the ground and flung me into the rocks near the swings.

As I got up, I could feel the scratches along my legs and arms and saw the blood that started flowing down my legs. He was stronger than me, but if I could use my speed and out smart him, I could beat him.

"So you want more you little brat?" he said to me. "Here, take the orb while I finish off this kid." He gently tossed a light brown sphere to one of the other idiots. It was no bigger than a baseball, but I had a feeling it was important to them so I grabbed one of the blood stained rocks and throw it at the sphere, knocking it out of the air.

I sprinted toward the object. Kicking the knife wielding one in the back of the knee to stop him, I made it to the object and picked it up seconds before the others reached it. The idiot wasn't down for long and he and his two friends surrounded me. I couldn't see anyway to get out.

"Don't worry about giving it back to us. We will just take it when you are dead." I could tell he intended to follow through on that threat too.

"Zack, toss it to me," Cody said. I tossed it over the goons and Cody caught it and began running away from us. Wait a second….

"Cody!" I screamed. The three began chasing him, but as I began to follow, the one stopped and stiff-armed me, knocking me to the ground.

I saw my brother disappear in the distance. Something wasn't right about him though. He was wearing a white t-shirt but one of the sleeves had been torn off and there were tares all throughout it. Even from a distance, I could tell it had stains and dirt all over it. His black shorts weren't in any better shape and his shoes had holes in them.

I wish I had time to think about him, but once again, the idiot wanted me dead, and there was no way I would give him that pleasure.

Rolling out of the way to dodge his knife, pain filled my body from all those scrapes rubbing against the hard ground. I leapt up and he tried stabbing me again, but this time I kicked the knife right out of his hand. I ran up, elbowed him in the stomach, and then gave him a quick left hook across the cheek. Since he was using a knife against me, I saw no reason to fight fair so I kneed him as hard as I could in the balls. He was leaning over in pain, so with a forceful elbow to the back of the head, he was down.

Where had Cody run off to? Looking around, there was no sign of him or the goons chasing him. Is this why he called me here? What had happened to him, and what was so important about that orb thing? There are so many things I don't know, but I guess I have to return home not knowing. I saw Cody though, and that is what's important. I just hope he's okay.


	4. Chapter 4: Distorting Reality

_"You can never say never  
Why we don't know when  
Time, time and time again_"  
Never Say Never, the Frey

Chapter 4: Distorting Reality

I began the slow walk back home. Those images in my mind. For a brief second it was like, everything was back to normal, but it isn't. So close to being back in my life, but then you disappear without a trace. What have you been through Cody?

After nearly an hour of slow walking, I finally made it back home. I wanted just a quiet day, where I could think about what I had seen and maybe figure out how to see him again. My sister did not seem to relish these same thoughts.

"So where you been Zack hmm who'd you see wow you look bad what happened?"

"Not now Ashley," I said to the annoying creature running around the living room where I was sitting.

"Oh your girl friend dumb you again and then beat you up this time?"

Why must it be illegal to kill your little sister? "I don't feel like talking about it now, but I promise to tell you later," I said getting up from the chair. Knowing her, she would forgot all about my promise and if not I could come up with a convincing lie by then.

I went upstairs and turned the shower on as I closed the door behind me. There were several reasons for this. One, it would get my 9 year old sister out of my hair for a while. Two, I needed to get all this blood and dirt off me, and three, the feeling of hot water colliding against my body helped me to relax.

I could feel the water begin to carry away the blood that covered much of my body. It was soothing but stung as the still open wounds were exposed to the cleansing soap. I saw several other bruises that had been covered by my clothes before. Until now, most of the pain had been buried beneath my array of emotions, but now that I concentrated on it, I knew the pain would be with me for a while.

Exiting the shower, I saw that nearly of my scratches had stopped bleeding. For the couple that hadn't, I was able to put a bandage on them to stop the blood loss. While my body hurt, it wasn't anything excruciating. For now though, the important thing is finding Cody.

What all do I have to go on? He is likely still somewhere in the city, somewhat near the park. Unless those people caught up to him, then… no I can't think about that. He is still alive, he has to be. I could call the police and see if they could help find him. They probably wouldn't believe me especially since the last I heard, Cody was living in Oklahoma. The police would be interested in the dead body though.

I put my clothes back on and left the bathroom. I walked back in the living room to see my sister on the phone as usual. Seriously, how much does a nine year old have to talk to friends? I could fight her for it, but that would be too much work. I went back up to my room and pulled out my cell phone. They have to be one of the greatest inventions ever. I looked down and noticed the battery was dead. I could just plug it into the charger, if I remembered where I put it.

Looking down at my bed, I remembered that I was unable to sleep till noon, like most days during the summer. There wasn't any harm in returning to sleep for a few hours, so I got back under the blankets and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"Zack, toss it to me," Cody said. I tossed it over the goons and Cody caught it and began running away from us. Wait a second….

"Cody!" I screamed. The three began chasing him, but as I began to follow, the one stopped and stiff-armed me, knocking me to the ground. "I won't let you hurt my brother." In a matter of seconds he was down, but as I ran after the others, I could feel my legs slowing. In the distance I could hear the sound of a gunshot. I pushed my legs as hard as I could but when I got there, I could only stand in horror as the bullet ripped through his back and he fell to the ground. Blood started flowing out his back and soaking his shirt in pure red. He looked up at me as his once full of life eyes faded to nothingness. All around they laughed at his pain. As I turned to face them, I felt a bullet pierce my chest. I collapsed onto my brother's body.

* * *

I jolted up in bed. I could almost feel where the bullet entered my body. Moving my hand to where I was shot, I could feel blood. If that was only a dream, why was I bleeding from it?

"That was some dream, wasn't it Zack?"

I looked up and saw Cody standing over me again. It was just like the dream last night.

"That's because you still are dreaming," he said answering my unspoken question. "I know this is a bit confusing to you."

"Yea, having my brother communicate to me in a dream and then see him in the park like that is a bit weird."

"I do owe you an explanation for this, but I can't maintain the dream for long. Where do you live so I can come see you?"

I gave Cody my address and how to get here, and then I awoke from my dreams. I even pinched myself to make sure I wasn't in another one. So Cody really could communicate to me through my dreams.

I had so many questions for him. Where is his family and what had he been doing? Did he run away or something? There is no way the brother I knew would willingly wear clothes that badly. And why wait till now to talk to me? There were so many questions I had for him. All those questions faded once I heard the doorbell ring about a half hour after I awoke. I would see Cody again, and that's all that mattered.

A/N: Wow three days without an update, sorry guys. Seriously though, thank you for all the reviews and alters. Zack's first dream was an idea I originally considered for chapter three, but since going with that would kill the story, but I still wanted to write it, I put it here. Please review and tell me your thoughts or any ideas you have for this.


	5. Chapter 5: Cody's story

_A/N: This chapter is told from a third person PoV. This way, it will be easier to capture the thoughts of both twins_

_Chapter 5: Cody's story_

_Please don't cry  
One tear for me  
I'm not afraid of  
What I have to say  
This is my one and only voice  
So listen close  
It's only for today_

"_Second Chance" by Shinedown_

As Zack opened the door, he saw him. It was as if he was looking into mirror. For a moment, he was frozen in thought. A smile bigger than anything he could remember grew across his face.

"Zack," Cody said softly, as his brother stood there frozen.

Before he knew it, Zack's arms wrapped his brother in a tight embrace.

"Cody, Cody, Cody, I can't believe it is really you."

"Yea, it's me," he said as his brothers tears began flowing down his arm. Zack didn't care about anyone who saw this strange sight. He had his twin back, his best friend back, his Cody back.

"Hey Zack whose your friend? Wow I haven't seen you cry that much since Michelle dumped you."

"Ash, shut up."

Zack led Cody to his room where they would have at least some privacy. It had been so long since they had seen each other they didn't know where to begin, Zack sat on his bed while Cody sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"I'm glad you're okay Zack."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"In the park, I had thought all three of them would have chased me. I was really worried when I only saw two behind me."

_I guess some things never change. Cody was more worried about me even though he was the one being chased. He's so calm about all this too._ "Yea, I can handle myself in a fight. More importantly, what are you doing here? Last I heard your family moved to Oklahoma."

Cody chuckled slightly. "So that's the lie they came up with now. Although, maybe they are, I don't know and don't care."

"Wait, you aren't living with them anymore?"

"Zack, you were lucky," Cody said solemnly, "A good family adopted you. I wasn't so lucky."

"What happened?" Zack said as concern welled up within him.

"To put it simply, they abused me." Cody lifted his shirt to show Zack a scar on his back. The dull red mark went from near his left shoulder all the way to the middle of his back.

"That's horrible. Codes, I'm so sorry." _What kind of pain was he in? I will KILL them for doing that!_

"It's not your fault. It's those heartless creatures that claimed to be my parents," Cody said with as much hatred in his voice as possible. "After my 'father' gave me that scar I decided I had to get away as soon as possible. Once the wound healed, I stole as much money as I could and ran away when they were both at work."

"How long ago was that?"

"It was early March the year after I went to live with them."

"You've been living by yourself for over a year?"

"I'd take that over living with them any day. That wasn't the first time they hurt me, but I made sure it was the last."

"Still, couldn't you go to the police about it?"

"And risk ending up back with them or in an adoption center till I turned 18? Do you know what he would do to me if I actually did something to make him angry? And if I went back to the adoption center, there aren't many families that want to adopt people as old as us." Zack could see the terror in Cody's eyes. He was scared, and worst of all, he wasn't able to be there for his brother.

"So how did you survive?"

"Well, I was able to make the money I stole last me a while."

"What about when it ran out?"

"That's when things began getting hard. It was July of last year, when it happened. We lived in Chicago so that's where I had stayed. I tried attracting as little attention to myself as possible, and with all the homeless people, it wasn't hard to keep a low profile. I found refuge in a local church for a couple months. Although, once they began asking questions, I knew I had to leave."

"Then what did you do?"

"What ever I could to stay alive. When I had to, I would steal food. I hated doing it."

"Yea, but you had no choice."

"But the people I stole from oftentimes had little more than me! I refused to take food from another homeless person, but I knew some of those families didn't have anything to give, and would go hungry because of me." Cody's voice began shaking as the guilt of his crimes climbed to the surface for the first time in months.

"Dude," Zack said as he placed his hand on his brother's arm, "If you didn't steal, you would be dead."

"But, it doesn't make it right." _I can't believe all that he has been through. My gentle brother, forced into a life where he had to abandon his heart just to live._

"I spent as much time as I could in different libraries," Cody said changing the subject and snapping Zack out of his thoughts.

"I see you still always enjoy learning."

"Well that was only part of it; with winter coming then, staying there would keep me warm. While researching nothing particular, I came across about our parents' death."

"What did you find?" Zack said as uneasiness came over him.

"Well you know how it was supposedly a traffic accident?"

"Yea."

"The police think it was a murder."

"No way!" Zack said, leaping up from the bed, "By who!"

"They never were able to find the culprit," Cody said calmly, "I continued doing research and I found something unusual. I was able to search the police records and I found that they lost a piece of evidence. It was a brown orb that Dad wore as a necklace."

"The same one from the park?"

"No, this one was different. They were murdered so the people could get it. That's the same reason they killed that man in the park."

"Why do they want them that badly?" Zack asked. _What kind of sick twisted person would murder innocents just to get these orbs?_

"I haven't learned much about the people yet, but I was able to learn about the orbs. There are five of them. The orb of memories, the orb of sight, the orb of thought, the orb of future, and lastly the orb of reality."

"Now you lost me," Zack said.

"I'll try explaining," Cody said as Zack sat back on the bed.

"The orbs of memories, sight, thought, and future, were scattered throughout the country and probably the world. To any normal person, they are nothing more than a simple sphere, but for certain people, they give them supernatural powers. If one of those people gathers those four and takes them to the seal of reality, they will gain access to the orb or reality which can change anything the user wishes."

"So those innocent people were killed because of these orbs?"

"Yea, they nearly killed me several times."

"Wait, so you found the one Dad had with him?"

"No, the family I was with had the orb of future. I took it with me not knowing what it was until much later. Many times, I wondered why I had it with me, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. Overtime though, I saw what it could do, but even so, I can still barely use its power, but it's how I knew to tell you to come to the park."

"Did it also give you the power to communicate through my dreams?"

"No that," Cody paused for a second, "Honestly Zack, I'm not completely sure what that was. I think though, that we are one of the few people that can control the orbs power, but that isn't the end of our powers."

"Yea, I remember in the park, when I fought that guy. My punches seemed a lot stronger than normal and I was faster."

"It's not surprising. The times where they came after me, I was able to slow them with my mind so I could dodge their attacks easier."

The sound of a stomach growling resounded throughout the room.

"Wow Codes! I thought only mine did that," Zack said with a small laugh.

"It's been a while since I've had a good meal."

"Come downstairs with me and I'll show you what chef Zack can do."

"Should I fear for my life?" Cody said as he followed Zack downstairs. The older twin opened the fridge, pulled out bread and cheese, and turned the stone on. The younger one just sat at the table and enjoyed being able to relax with his brother, even though he knew it wouldn't last long. "Remember to take the cheese out of the plastic Zack"

"Don't worry I'm not as bad as London," Zack said as he cooked the grilled cheese sandwiches.

The twins sat in silence as they ate. Zack devoured his food quickly as usual, but surprisingly Cody did as well.

"Wow, I thought I was a fast eater."

"That was the best meal I've had in months," Cody said.

"Seriously, I'm not that great a cook."

"Yea, but it was actually a hot meal. Thank you Zack."

"No problem Codester."

"Sorry, but I better be going now."

"Wait, what?" _Not this soon, I just got him back but now he is leaving again._

"I can't stay here; I have to find the other two orbs."

"Well, alright buddy, but you can't leave yet."

"Why not?"

"Just look at yourself. Your clothes are a mess, your shoes are falling apart, and no offence dude, but you reek."

Cody chuckled slightly, "After all this time, I don't notice that stuff anymore."

"Well, go upstairs and take a shower, and I'll give you some better clothes."

"Thanks, Zack."

Cody stepped into the shower and allowed the stream of water pelt his body, carrying away the dirt that had grown across his skin. He remembered the clean freak he used to be, and how he would cringe at the slightest bit of dirt on him, but now, it seemed superficial. It had been so long since then, that he almost forgot what it felt like.

For a brief moment, everything was right with the world. It was as if he was back at the Tipton, with him and Zack ready to torment each other again. Mom was downstairs singing and warned them to be good or else. However, these were just fleeting memories against the cold reality that was his new life. All the love that he felt from around him was replaced by apathy and lofty glances. No, that wasn't entirely true. He still had Zack, and while it wasn't much, someone still cared about him.

He stepped out of the shower and saw the clothes Zack had set in the room for him. He put on the green sleeveless t-shirt and the black shorts and noticed how big they were on him. Even though the twins were still similar in appearance, Cody's traveling and lack of good food made him a bit thinner. The younger one's hair also was longer, coming past his shoulders now.

_

"You sure you can't stay here, at least for one night?" Zack said to his brother. "You've been through so much, you deserve at least one day to rest." In his face, Zack could see the exhaustion and strain of Cody's life come to the surface. _You might be good at hiding it most of the time, but you can't fool me, Cody._ "Please for me."

"Alright, but just know I can't stay long. One night, that's all," Cody said firmly. While he would like nothing more than to stay here with Zack, he knew it would be impossible.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I kept changing my mind on how I wanted to write it, but even when I decided on something, it still didn't turn out as good as I hoped, but I finally fixed it and I think it's as good as the others. Also a special thanks to Kulmari for the song lyrics, and Wyntirsno for all the questions. Please review, I love hearing what you think about this.


	6. Chapter 6:Zack’s decision

Chapter 6: Zack's decision

"_This might hurt  
It's not safe  
But I know that I've gotta make a change  
I don't care  
If I break  
At least I'll be feeling something  
'Cause just ok  
Is not enough  
Help me fight through the nothingness of life"_

_The Motions, Matthew West_

Cody woke from his makeshift bed on the floor and gazed at the clock. It was still only six in the morning. He had enjoyed his first relaxing day he could remember. Whether it was playing video games with his brother, or a game of basketball, or even just talking, it brought back so many happy memories. However, he knew that carefree times like that were all in the past now.

He slowly rose, attempting to make as little noise as possible. In the darkness of the room, he walked toward the door. He took one look back at Zack's bed. It was excruciating for him to leave him like this again, but he knew it was for the best. Cody knew his brother, and that it would hurt him more to see him walk away then for him to just slip out unnoticed.

"_You are one of us now! The sooner you learn that the better!"_

"_I can't even remember my old family?"_

"_Forget your past or I will force you," he says as his cane is slammed into my chest. As I fall to my knees, he bashes my head with the handle of it. Blood flows down my face and begins dripping onto the floor. Looking up my body is shaking and I know he sees the fear in my eyes. "Learn your place," he says, and walks away._

Cody shook his head trying to subdue the painful memory. Since that day, he had been careful not to trust anyone. At any second, they could reveal their true intentions and betray him. Is that why he was getting away from Zack, the one person he always could turn to? No, Zack was still Zack, the sometimes annoying and selfish brother, but the one who would do anything for him when it really mattered.

The younger twin pulled his eyes from the bed and opened the door. "I'm sorry, take care," he mouthed as he pulled the door open. Walking into the hallway, he noticed the house was as quiet as the dark night outside. He was glad that the family could enjoy sleeping late on the weekends, and wished he could do the same.

Walking to the front door, he prepared to once again exit the world of serenity and return to his chosen path.

"We leaving already?" Cody turned and saw Zack sitting in a chair in the living room.

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep with all this going on. Decided to watch some TV to see if it could calm me down, and then decided I just wanted to sit here and think."

"Yea, it's a lot to take in."

"You really have to go buddy?"

"I'm sorry that I was leaving without telling you, but I thought it would be easier this way."

"Don't go. I talked to my parents last night after you went to sleep. They said you could stay here with us, with me. Please, I don't want to lose you again."

"Zack," tears began building up in Cody's eyes. He hated what he was putting his older brother through. "Thank you so much," he said fighting through the sobs, "but I can't"

Rising from his chair, Zack bolted across the room and embraced his brother. "We don't mind, I'd love for you to stay," Zack said through similar tears. They both felt the pain of being given everything they could want, and then have it heartlessly ripped from them.

"I'd like nothing more than that," he said revealing the similarity of their dreams, "but I can't."

"Why?" Zack begged.

"You saw what those people did to that guy in the park. They almost killed you too. If I stay here, they will come after us, and they won't think twice about killing all of you."

"What about you Cody!" Zack screamed. "How are you going to survive in the heartless world alone against them?"

"I've made it this far," Cody said softly, "I can take care of myself."

"You sure there isn't another way?"

"I'm sorry, but there isn't."

"Okay, I guess we are leaving now?" Zack asked. It took until the second time for the words to resonate for Cody. 'We are leaving'

"Zack, what do you mean 'we'?"

"Simple, I'm going with you Codester." A small smile crept across the older brother's face.

"Zack, no," Cody said shaking his head. "You have a great life here, and you can't just leave it."

"I don't care," he responded "I would give this life up in a second to be with you, and that's what I'm doing."

"Zack, are you honestly telling me you want to be homeless, to not know if you will eat anytime soon, and to be out in the brutal weather all the time? I don't want you to suffer like this."

"Honestly, it's not something that I want, but I can't lose you again. No matter where this journey takes you, I want to go with you."

"Zack," he said trying to think of a way to convince him not to abandon everything he had.

"Wait," Zack held up his hand stopping his brother response, "I want you to stay here and live with us, but if you have to go then I'm going with you."

"I can't talk you out of this can I?"

"Not a chance. You ready?"

"Let's have one last meal here. I want to make sure I remember how to cook."

Even after many months away from a stove, Cody still could make delicious ham and cheese omelets, by adding just a pinch of garlic. For once, Zack savored his food, knowing that it would be the last home cooked meal he would have for a long time. Once the food was gone, Zack and Cody spent a few seconds gazing out the window at the rising sun.

Cody opened the front door and the twins exited through it. As the two walked out into the street, the door slowly closed behind them. They set their sights toward the long and winding road ahead of them.

Zack looked at his brother's expression and hoped he could maintain the same courage he had, the strength to continue on, through the pain of his experiences. He was scared that he would slow Cody down, that when things started going bad, it would be his fault. Even so, there was no regret in his decision.

_

A/N: They say that if the author is emotional impacted by a scene then the readers will be too, so I hope you enjoyed that. Also, for those wondering, this is not a romance between the two, so for those looking for a twincest story, look elsewhere. Also, thank you for all the alerts and favorites, I'd love hearing what you like or don't like about this or any ideas you have so please review!


	7. Chapter 7: Without a Home

_"We come from...  
Over the dark horizon sky  
With twisted tales of sacrifice  
To imagine or believe all the glory of the free_

Hunting all day an endless cry  
The things I've seen I can't deny  
Sinners, saints all mixed in one  
The dawn of time has begun"

Black Fire, Dragonforce

Chapter 7: Without a home

This hunger, the pain in my legs, and the water continuing to pour on us from above, all added to the difficulties plaguing us. Night has fallen once again, but rest continues to elude us. I could be back at home, sitting on my bed playing video games now, but I left that behind me three weeks ago. Many times, I have questioned the choices I made then, but now as with each other time, I look to the person beside me and know it is worth it.

"You okay Zack?" he says looking over at me.

"Yea, I'm just tiered and it seems like we are going nowhere."

"I know what you mean. Being by myself for so long, made it feel like I had nothing to live for. There were times, where I just cried myself to sleep in some dark alley, wishing that I wouldn't wake up again. There was nothing that made me want to keep going."

"I can't imagine what it was like Codes. So many times I felt sorry for myself, but know that I now what you were going though, it seems so idiotic. I wish I could have been there for you"

"It might have been better with you not knowing though. You were able to live your life and enjoy it. I didn't want you to suffer like me."

How can he think things like this? Was I really so selfish that I wouldn't want to help him.

"Cody, what ever it takes, I promise to protect you. After all, I'm the big brother," I say as a small smile grows across my face.

"Thanks Zack," he says as he wraps his arms around me.

"You and me against the world buddy, together they won't stand a chance. Remember, you're not alone."

"Yea," he says as his eyes begin to close. I can't believe he's actually falling asleep just leaning against me like this. I catch him and gently set him on the ground. You've been through so much, but you can rest with me. I set his exhausted body against the wet ground. As the rain continues to pound us from above, I feel my body begin to succumb to the same desire for sleep. Accompanied by the silence of the night, I lay my body on the ground beside him and drift into a gentle slumber.

"Night Cody"

"Night Zack"

_

"Zack, wake up,"

"What is it Codes?" I ask he shakes me awake from my slumber.

"Look at this," he says holing one of the orbs in his hand. It is glowing a bright golden color. The drowsiness leaves my body as visions flood my mind. I many different images, but they flash by too fast for me to identify anything. Soon though, they I can see a man wearing a suit in what appears to be an underground tunnel. He looks around nervously as he pulls out a small brown sphere. He stares at it intently as the lights above him flicker. I see the orb begin glowing, and then I'm brought back to reality.

"Dude, did you see that too?"

"Yea," my brother answers me, "We're getting closer."

"So that was the orb of future?"

"No, that was the orb of sight that we got in the park. It let's us see things in other parts of the world. That person was trying to communicate with us though."

"How do we get to him though?"

"I don't k-" Cody freezes for a moment as the same thought crosses both of our minds. "That's has to be the orb of thought."

At first, I thought Cody was crazy when he said we had to go south to Florida, but I trusted him. Now, after many days of walking and riding the bus, it looks like it will be worth it. He said it was just a simple thought, but since it was the same type of thought that led him to me, it had to be worth it. Now, we both know the location of this person.

"You felt it too then?"

"Yea, I know exactly where that guy wants us to go."

"You think it is safe though?" I ask my brother, "What if it's just a trap?"

I can tell the worry mount in him as he faced the ground. This is the first time since we met again that I could tell he was at a loss. "I…I don't know."

An awkward silence fills the alley we spent the night in. Is this what it felt like to be alone through all that time, to not know if what you were doing would get you anywhere?

"We can get through this," I say placing a hand on his shoulder, "Remember, you don't have to do this alone anymore."

"Yea, you're right Zack. We just have to come up with a plan so if he is on our side we can find him, but still have a way out if he is with them." This is the brother I remember, the logical caring one

"So what's the plan Codester?"

A car door slams near us, and as we turn to face it, we see several familiar faces.

"We get away from them," Cody says as we run down the dark alley as the same mysterious people from the park exit there car.

_

A/N: This chapter was hard to write, and telling the story from a first person present tense made it harder, but I think it worked. Sorry for switching narrations so often, but I want to try different things and think this fits better for this part. This one took longer than the others to write, and to get up to standards, but the good news is I wrote the next chapter tonight, so it will be up soon.


	8. Chapter 8: Innocence of death

_"Fallen soldiers taste the steel of death, the daylight dawning  
Sun will shine upon the lives of burning hearts of ice  
As you break through the boundaries of life this feeling of despair  
And they die in their sleep for the world that will not care  
You feel lost in this labyrinth of pain, this sickening dismay  
There's a voice inside that's calling another wasted day"  
_Soldiers Of The Wasteland, Dragonforce

Chapter 8: Innocence of death

"You think they saw us?" Zack said, as he and Cody climbed over a fence trying to evade their pursuers.

Cody looked around the corner of the building and saw the men in suits run down the alley "Yea, they did." The twins looked around and saw they were surrounded on all sides by buildings.

"What can we do?"

"Stay back, I'll handle them," Cody said as he walked forward preparing to battle them. _'Zack doesn't need to be involved in this fight.'_

"No way, I won't let you fight them alone."

"It will be easier to protect you if you stay back."

"I don't need protection. I can handle myself in a fight."

"Okay, but don't do anything crazy, you don't need to prove anything to me."

"I'll be fine bro," Zack said as the two jumped back over the fence.

A couple of the enemies pulled out a knife when they saw the teens emerge. "You saw there was no way to get around us," one said arrogantly.

"I won't hide anymore," Cody said. "Leave while you still can."

"I will enjoy taking the life from your body," one said as he ran at Cody, knife drawn.

The younger twin grabbed his wrist with his left hand, and thrusted his elbow into the man's stomach. He then used his right leg to sweep the man off his feet and onto the ground. With his opponent down, Cody pounded his knee into the man's wrist, with the full force of his weight, forcing him to drop the knife. The teen then kicked the knife along the ground to his brother. "Don't be afraid to use it. They won't hesitate at all."

"Tough talk for out numbered kids," the man on the ground said. Another man ran at Cody, who soon rose from the ground to fight this foe. As Cody got up, he planted a powerful kick into the head of the subdued man.

Cody grabbed the person's arm and slammed him into the wall of the building, while powerfully punching another one in the face. His foe's blood began covering his hand, but at this point, he didn't care. Cody kicked another in the stomach, before elbowing him in the back of his head, knocking another one to the ground.

Zack was amazed to see how strong his brother had become, but couldn't let this distract him from his own fight. While Cody was taking on several at once, only one was battling Zack. The older twin nearly had a knife dragged across his arm, but he jumped back fast enough to avoid it. He picked up the knife Cody had given him, and thrusted it at the man. However, the person just latched onto Zack's wrist, and he couldn't pull himself away.

Things slowed for Zack as the man pulled his knife back, preparing it for the final thrust. The blade glistened from the reflection of the sunlight. All the sights slowed as Zack's body was gripped by paralyzing fear. With a sick smile in his face, the man brought the knife forward. "Zack!" Cody screamed to his fear-struck brother. His eyes blinked at the voice awakened his mind to the situation. The knife continued to come at him, but even as it did, it was like watching it in slow motion. _'Is this what's it's like to die,' _Zack thought before remembering Cody's words.

He used his free hand to grab the knife wielder's hand. With both their hands locked, Zack jumped off the ground and struck his foot right against the man's chest. The twin did a back flip and landed unharmed, while the man collided into the brick wall. Zack could feel the fear leave his body but still noticed the man moving in slow motion. He used this to his advantage. While adrenaline coursed through his veins, he slammed the man back into the wall with his elbow before punching the man in the side of head, sending a bleeding and unconscious body to the ground.

One of the people in the back saw the battle was going poorly and pulled out a gun. Cody caught the sound of the gleaming object click, and knew what was coming. The man took aim at Cody and fired.

The younger twin focused his mind on his surroundings and everything slowed for him. He saw the bullet zooming through the air toward him, but easily leaned his body to the side. Two more shots were fired at him, but Cody dodged both of them while finishing off the last two of the knife wielders.

With only one shot left, the man set his sights on a less agile target. Cody saw the gun's angle shift and he looked behind him to his brother who had just knocked his foe to the ground. A smile crept across the gunman's face as the bullet left the weapon and flew through the air. Cody knew he couldn't stop the bullet, so instead, choose to move its target. He ran to Zack with as much speed as he could muster, and tackled him to the ground.

"You okay Zack?"

"Yea, thanks bro."

"Annoying pets," the man said as he reloaded his gun.

"I won't let you…" Cody ran to the man and unleashed all his anger and rage in a single punch to the man's face. Blood spurt out from the shattered bones as he fell to the ground. "…hurt my brother," he said to the corpse. "Let's get out of here before they wake up," he told Zack.

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Cody ran through the streets of downtown Atlanta hoping to become lost in the crowd of people. Zack was right behind him, on his left, as they crossed the various sidewalks ignoring the gasps of the various people. Cody began feeling light headed after a couple blocks. Sweat covered his body and he felt moisture drip onto his leg.

When they reached a cross walk, Cody grabbed his head trying to calm the dizziness.

"Dude, your arm's covered in blood!" Zack exclaimed. Cody released his head and looked down at his right arm, which was now covered in the crimson liquid. Looking behind him, he saw drops of red coming from the path they ran. When he looked down, he saw red spots on his legs and shoes. "We have do get you to the hospital now!" an exuberated Zack said.

"We can't let this slow us down," Cody said sitting down on a bench.

"What do you mean? You could die!" Remaining calm, Cody tore a piece of his shorts and wrapped it around his shoulder, the source of the flowing blood, tightly.

"Something like that won't save you," Zack said.

"Yea, but it will do for now until we can get somewhere safe."

* * *

A/N: Why is it I always hurt my favorite characters? For those who didn't relize, the bullet grazed Cody's shoulder when he tackled Zack to save him, but in the rush of the battle, he didn't feel the pain. Next chapter up soon I hope, and thanks for all the reviews! Also, in the month this has been published, I average exactly one review per day.


	9. Chapter 9: Pain and Love

A/N: Filler chapters like this are a pain to write, but if I didn't write it, nothing would make sense, and this isn't my random story that doesn't have to. Thanks again for all the reviews. All the questions and ideas you give me have helped this story immensely, so keep them coming. I've started on chapter 10, so I hope it won't be too long.

Chapter 9: Pain and Love

_"By your side, until the end,  
Until you're standing tall again!  
I'm here, I'll always be here.  
And if the tide, sweeps you out to sea,  
When your strength is gone, and it's hard to believe!_

_Hold on, hold on!  
When the current pulls you under,  
And your heart beats like thunder!  
Just give me your hand,  
And hold on, hold on!"_

_Hold on, 33 miles_

* * *

'_How can he be so calm after taking a bullet like that?' _Zack thought as he and Cody continued running down the street. "Dude, we have to do something about your shoulder."

Cody just brushed of Zack's comment like he was talking about nothing more than a scratch. Truthfully, there wasn't much pain, but he knew that only meant there was more damage. If he could get it securely covered and could stop the blood loss, it would eventually heal by itself.

"I need a place to sit down, if I lose much more blood while running I'm gonna pass out."

"We have to get it treated though."

"I can handle it, this isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"What happened before?"

Cody ignored his brother's question and sat on several crates. He untied the now red material that he used to stop the bleeding and looked at the wound. Zack cringed at seeing all that blood and was amazed that his brother could stay calm after seeing so much blood pouring out from him. "Zack, hand me a bottle of water."

He did, and Cody tried washing the dried blood of his shoulder. He gently touched his wound, and pulled his fingers up seeing red spots on them. "Anything I can do?" Zack asked.

"I don't think there is."

Touching the exposed flesh stung like a thousand bees, but he knew that something had to be done. The pain would only last a short time, if he acted fast enough.

As Cody began thinking of ways to heal the wound, Zack rummaged through the backpack he had brought him. He pulled out a box of bandages, but none of them were large enough to cover that big of a wound. Searching further, he found a couple large gauze pads and handed them to his brother. Carefully Cody placed them on his shoulder and felt the sting of the material latching on to the exposed muscles. He knew that if he could keep the flesh away from the air, it would heal and stop hurting as bad.

"What's wrong buddy?" Zack asked when he saw the tears building up in his eye. He hated seeing him like this, especially knowing there was nothing he could do to help.

"I just got shot, what do you think?" Cody snapped back in response.

Zack took a couple steps back, not knowing how to respond. He wanted to help, but didn't know what to do.

Cody looked up and saw the hurt in his brother's eyes. "Sorry Zack," he said with a calmer voice, "This just hurts horribly, and I know it will be like that for a while."

"I don't know what I can do but I'm here." Zack embraced his brother in a gentle hug being careful not to agitate his wound.

"Thanks Zack," he said as he rose to his feet, ready to continue their journey. However, as he began to walk, lightheadedness from the blood loss made his vision spin. As he took a step, his vision blurred and he began to fall. His caught himself with his hand, but the impact jolted his injured shoulder.

"Don't push yourself," Zack said as he helped his brother back to his feet. Cody began to argue, but he felt the weakness all throughout his body. "Just stay here and rest for now."

"What if they find us?"

"We'll handle that when it comes. You don't have to do everything yourself now Codes. You have me to protect you."

Cody could feel his body struggle against the desire for rest, but he could not bring himself to give in. Through all the time of pushing himself beyond limits of pain and exhaustion, he couldn't force himself to change. He wanted to just rest, but knew that, that privilege was taken from him long ago. "Zack, I guess you're right, but we have to keep going."

"And we will; when you are able to walk without falling down," Zack said. He thought it was so weird how their roles were reversed now. Normally he was the reckless one and Cody was the one that tried to keep them out of danger.

"Okay, you win."

Zack smiled as he converted the cardboard boxes around them into a makeshift bed. Cody closed his eyes, blocking out the bright sun hovering above him. For a moment, the weight of the world was lifted from the younger twin's shoulders, and he could rest. His brother just sat against the building and watched. After all the time they had spent traveling in the past few weeks, he needed a moment to rest as much as Cody.

Looking down at his hands, Zack remembered the battle earlier today. The dried blood of his victim was blotched on his palms. He had been in the occasional fight at school, but never anything like this. He started to feel sorry for the man that he injured, maybe even killed. Knowing that it was a matter of life or death for him didn't ease his worries any. It was still a person that might not live anymore because of him.

His glance then shifted to the gentle soul laying beside him. During the battle, he saw Cody fight with such a different personality. He couldn't believe that his brother would be that wiling to kill. Before, he wouldn't hurt a fly, and now at least several people were dead, and he didn't even think twice about it.

Zack could tell though, just by watching his chest gently rise and fall, that he hadn't really changed. Even though there were times he had to suppress it, he was still the same gentle and caring Cody he was before. Zack hated that such a selfless person was forced into a life like that. It then occurred to him why Cody was like that in the battle.

He was fighting to protect him. During the battle Cody took on so many of them, to make sure he was safe. Zack saw that even in a situation like that, Cody's loving personality still guided him. He couldn't ask for a better brother, especially in a situation like this.

Zack shifted his sight to the world around them. He saw a bus drive by and remembered that they passed bus stop only a couple blocks away. He knew it would be much easier then walking if they could find a ride to their destination. He hesitated as he got up, not wanting to leave his brother in this vulnerable state. It wouldn't be long though, just enough time to grab a schedule and walk back.

* * *

"Mr. Martin, we have found you at last."

"…"

"You are cornered and there is no way out."

"…"

"You're just lucky you are more valuable alive then dead, but don't worry, we won't make you suffer long."


	10. Chapter 10: Somnium, Vereor

"_Summer has come and passed  
The innocent can never last  
Wake me up when September ends_

_Ring out the bells again  
Like we did when spring began  
Wake me up when September ends"_

_Wake me up when September ends, Greenday_

Chapter 10: Somnium, Vereor.

Cody's PoV

"You okay Zack," I say to my brother as he struggles to keep up with me.

"Yea, just not used to running this much," he says, while breathing heavily. I can't blame him, it seems like we've been wondering through here for forever without any progress. In the faint light, it appears that we are in just another empty room. I wish we knew where to go, instead of just wondering along aimlessly, but each path just leads to another in a seemingly never ending circle.

"Where do we go now?" he asks me.

"I don't know."

"Come on Cody, you can think of a way to get through this." He's right, I've used my intellect countless times, but I wish I knew what to go on. I know that he is here somewhere, but I don't know where, or even who this person is.

"Zack, I just don't know what to do." We hear footsteps slowing marching down the hall. The echoes resound against the metal plating. They know where we are, and I don't know if we can escape. The footsteps continue to approach us and they seem to be coming in all directions.

"We can't just stay here," Zack says and I know he is right. He grabs my hand and pulls me through the bleak hallway. My shoulder jerks at the pain, but I just continue to follow as my mind goes through dozens of plans, but none of them make any sense. Why can't I think of anything?

After leaving the dark hallway, we find ourselves in yet another dimly lit room. Through everyplace we run, the bleakness of nothing continues to stand in front of us. "Still nothing," I say as Zack and I continue to look around the room. I reach out with my mind trying to connect with the person that told us to come here, but my calls go unanswered.

"Yea, let's keep looking," Zack says, "There has to be something here."

"Into nothingness you come, and into nothingness you shall go."

We turn around and see several figures in the darkness.

"We're not afraid of you," Zack says courageously. I wish I could share in his confidence, but we don't know what we are up against.

"Zack, don't rush into this."

From all around us they come. From the four corridors, more men come pouring in.

"Surrender, you know there is no way out."

"We'll just break our way through you!" Zack says. He can't fool me though. I can sense the fear in his voice. Even in the battles before, we were lucky to get out mostly unharmed, and this time, we are in their home, and even more outnumbered. If we can't defeat them, then there has to be a way out.

"Zack, there are too many to just kill," I tell him.

"You have a plan don't you?"

"Yea, if we can threaten the leader's life, then we can force them to surrender."

"That's a devious tactic but we have no choice," he says. I admit, I wish this would just be a fair fight, but we don't have any another options. I reach in my pocket and pull out my knife. I will have to end more lives today, but as long as the most important one continues, then it's worth it.

"So will you surrender, or make this harder than it has to be."

I grip my knife tighter as Zack pulls his out. "Go," I order, and we run at them.

The enemies continue to approach us from both sides, as the many steps echo all throughout the dark room. As one of the foes approaches us, I thrust my knife into his body, and knock him to the ground with my fist. Several more approach me, but my knife finds the ones neck, and I slice it across the two others as they fall to the ground.

I look forward and see Zack running toward the leader and notice that he is a good distance in front of me. The enemies see the opening and make a wall between the two of us. They aren't making this easy, but I'll just have to brake through them to protect Zack.

He looks back at me and sees how outnumbered I am. Zack stops for a moment and runs back toward me.

That wasn't part of the plan. I can handle myself in a fight, but I just hope Zack won't let his guard down.

They see him coming back to me and surround us, not letting me get back to my brother. I run at them again, knife poised to kill. Swinging the knife at him, it collides against his knife. This one won't be as easy, but I can't let him win. I continue attacking, but his blade deflects each swipe. I'll have to go all out to beat this guy.

Focusing my mind on my enemies, I slow them. I thrust my knife at him again, but once again, he deflects it. How is this possible? He smiles at me, apparently sensing my frustration. I slash at him several more times, but as with before, he easily deflects my attack.

This is impossible. No one has ever been able to match my speed like this. Unless… he has the same power as me. I can't let that stop me though.

I charge at him again, this time aiming my foot at his hand. Even with my immense speed, he latches on to my ankle, just as I guessed. I use the leverage to leap into the air, and shove my knife into his neck. All the others around me are still slowed as I slice through them.

Zack and I are together again, but the fight is far from over. His face shows the toll the battle has taken on him. He doesn't appear to have any bad wounds, but fighting off so many foes must be hard on him. My brother is breathing heavily and his arms are shaking. We can't let our guard down yet, they are still coming.

"Now's our chance," I say, noticing the leader is unguarded.

Zack nods as we run at him, dodging the attacks of the other enemies. I turn as I hear my brother scream in pain, and I notice blood flowing down his arm as he kicks his assailant away. Two others approach him, but he instructs me to keep going.

I reach the leader, and hold my knife to his neck. "Stand down or he dies!" I order. All of our foes back away, leaving Zack unharmed.

My prisoner begins chuckling. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your foolishness." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun.

"Drop it or you die," I order as I press the knife harder against his throat. The creep ignores me and begins raising the gun. He asked for it. I slice the blade across his neck, but he escapes my grasp completely unharmed. He points the gun into the crowd and fires a single bullet.

No…

The incredibly loud bang resonates throughout the room.

No.

My reflection grasps his chest in pain.

No!

He falls to the ground as I run to him.

NO!

I look down and see the look of shock and pain in his face. Tears flowed through his eyes as he struggled to form words. The spark that once filled them begins to fade.

**NO!**

Zack's eyes closed as the final breath escaped his mouth.

_

**Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11: From Past to Present

It looks like a lot of you saw what I did with the last chapter. I guess I shouldn't have given you so many hints.

* * *

_"I remember long ago  
When the sun was shining  
And all the stars were bright  
All through the night  
In the wake of this madness  
As I held you tight  
So long ago" _

_Land of Confusion, Disturbed_

Chapter 11: From past to present

"Cody."

"No, Zack, it can't be,"

"Cody, wake up!" Zack said as he jabbed his foot into his brother's side.

The younger twin jolted back to consciousness as the array of images flooded his mind. The eyes he had just seen fade into nothingness were now filled with life, and looking down at him. Was it only a dream; it had seemed so real.

"Zack, you're alive!" he said as he jumped to his feet and hugged his brother.

"I've been alive for the past 15 years," Zack said, unaware of the nightmare his brother experienced.

"I guess it was just a dream then," Cody said as his heart began to slow. He could still feel the adrenaline in his blood from the battle he had imagined.

"What happened in it?"

"Well, we were in a dark building of some kind, trying to find the person that's been calling us. There was a fight and then…" Cody was doing his best to hold back the tears as he recalled the dream.

"What's wrong Codes?" Zack asked gently as he saw the emotional pain Cody was in.

"I saw you die Zack," he whispered, not bearing to hear the words for himself.

"It was only a dream. I'm still alive, standing right in front of you.

"I guess you're right," Cody said as he sat back down. "No matter how real it seemed, it was only a dream," he said, mostly to himself as he tried to forget about the horrors he witnessed.

"Well, while you were sleeping, I was able to find a bus schedule and found a route that will take us almost directly to our destination.

"Nice one," Cody said as Zack showed the path they would take

"Yea, it gets here at 9 in the night then by about 6 in the morning, we should be there."

"That will save us a lot of time traveling. It looks like there is a stop only a few miles from where the person is staying."

"What about your arm though? Will you be okay if there is another fight?"

"I don't think it will slow me down much."

"Seriously, you don't have to handle everything by yourself now. Don't pretend it doesn't hurt when I know it does."

Zack was right; his shoulder did hurt. It wasn't as bad as before, he knew that it would disable any normal person. If he was the same person he was two years ago, he would have been lying in bed, crying from the pain. His mom would be there to comfort him, and Zack would be playing video games with him to distract him from the pain.

He didn't have these luxuries anymore. Being homeless for over a year had changed him in many ways. Cody had learned how to endure pain of many varieties. There wasn't another option so he learned to keep going through whatever was thrown at him. The cruel world didn't care if he was starving, lonely, exhausted or bleeding. If he needed something, he had to find it himself.

"Yea, it's hard to change though."

Now he had to remember what it was like to have a brother who loved him. Zack wasn't like the salesmen who only cared about money. There had been some kind strangers who had given him the occasional gift of food or money, but it was more from pity or wanting to be the good person, than truly loving him. Zack was willing to throw away everything he had to travel with him.

"I know how you feel. Sometimes I start to think that I could go back to live with Bruce and Victoria."

"You'd be happier that way."

"No I wouldn't," Zack said, shaking his head. "It may be an easier life, but I'd rather spend it with my true family than with them."

"Thanks Zack."

"For what?"

"For sticking with me through this."

Zack got up and led his brother out of the ally, "Come on."

"Where?"

"McDonalds of course. If you're hurt that badly on an empty stomach, it'll take you longer to heal."

"We can't waste our money on food like that though."

"We haven't eaten in a couple days. Hot food instead the cheapest thing at the grocery will be worth it."

"I guess you're right," Cody admitted.

The twins walked a couple blocks to their favorite fast-food restaurant. While eating, they thought back to simpler times, at a similar place far away.

* * *

"I don't want chicken nuggets, I wanted a hamburger."

"Zack, you told the lady you wanted chicken," his mom said trying to reason with the 9 year old

"Well, I changed my mind. Cody, trade with me please," Zack said with his best puppy dog eyes.

"Zack, no."

"Please," he said stringing the cuteness of his gaze. Only someone used to that gaze could resist its power.

"Zack, eat your food, and stop bugging me." Their mom couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her son's arguing.

"Fine," Zack said pouting. He crossed his arms and just glared at his food. Soon his hunger overcame his stubbornness and he began eating again.

* * *

"Thinking about the old days when we'd come here?" Zack said as he saw a smile on his brother's face.

"Yea, I miss the times when the biggest thing I had to worry about was you stealing my food."

Zack smiled too. Under the golden arches, they felt like kids again. "You should still worry about it though," the older twin said as he grabbed a fry out of Cody's hand. They both laughed as they received strange glances from around the room.

* * *

"Mommy, Zack stole my frensh fry."

"Cody, it's just one. He only does it to annoy you, so just ignore him and he'll stop."

"But, it was mine," the boy protested. While his mom comforted him, she didn't notice Zack taking a bite out of her big-Mac. People always thought he was stupid, but give him food, and he'll surprise anyone.

* * *

"I guess we can't stay here forever," Zack said as he got up from his seat.

"Yea, you're right," his brother responded as he picked up their trash, careful not to hurt his arm. He was able to move it some before the pain would lock it up again, but at least it was a start.

As they left the store, Cody grabbed Zack's arm as they were walking down the street. "What is it?" the older twin asked.

"Look," Cody said pointing down the street. They saw one of the same men they had battled earlier in the day. The twins turned the opposite direction and began running down the street. In the crowd of people wondering through the city, they knew the odds were low that anything would happen, but they couldn't take any chances.

They spent the rest of the day waiting for the bus to come that night. The twins were continuously on the watch for the people that were after them. They figured that someone had found the victims of the battle earlier in the day and that the police would be investigating. In the crowd of the many people, they were able to blend in. No one thought anything of the two teens aimlessly walking through the streets, and those who did notice them, quickly pushed the sight from their thoughts.

The bus arrived on schedule and they boarded it. As they gazed out the window, they saw a glorious summer's sunset. The shades of red and orange danced across the sky, outshining the normally bright city lights.

"You should get some rest Cody; your big brother will keep you safe."

* * *

Zack awoke to the sound of his brother crying in the bed near him. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightscare."

"Just go back to sleep," the young boy said to his brother.

"No, the monsters will come after me again." Zack walked across the room and climbed into bed with his brother.

"Don't worry; your big brother will keep them away." Their mom had opened the door when she heard the noice. She quickly closed it when she saw Zack had everything under control.

* * *

A/N: The calm before the storm you could say. When I got to the McDonalds part, I couldn't force myself to be serious, so I decided to add a little bit of comedy to this. I'm really excited about the next part, and while I can't tell you much, the song "Indestructible" will be used. Please review!

Post A/N to Addict Girl: Thanks a lot for your reviews so far and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. If you'd log in I'd be able to respond, since I can't find an account matching your name.


	12. Chapter 12: Into the fire, part 1

A/N: Well, I have good news and bad news. Bad news is I will be leaving for college in 2 days, so updates will slow. Good news is, I'm going to try to finish this part before then. Since I first thought of this, I've been really excited so I hope you enjoy.

_"Fly towards the storm. See the world reborn.  
Feel the pain inside the voice, the sorrow.  
Cross the distant shores, find the open door,  
Stand alone in judgment for tomorrow.  
Years of pain still haunt us all, we saw the last sunrise,  
Take me home in freedom for a lifetime.  
Pray now for silence and the last tears we'll cry.  
So glorious this fire inside,  
United we stand, and_

We'll all find our sacrifice tomorrow.  
Our journey on towards a brighter day.  
Silent tears we left behind still so far away.  
Across the endless sands, through the fields of our despair.  
Free for all eternity we stand  
Rise above the universe tonight, Star chaser."

_Heroes of our time, Dragonforce  
_

Chapter 12: Into the fire, part 1

The night had passed as the twins slept on the bus. For once, they didn't have to worry about always looking over their shoulders as they traveled along the highway.

As the vehicle pulled to a stop, the twins felt their bodies slide forward into the seats in front of them. A heavy sleeper wouldn't have noticed it happening, but they had learned that they had to rise at the slightest provocation. While awakening, they noticed the people grabbing their luggage to leave the vehicle.

"You boys forgetting you bags?" the bus driver asked as they left.

"We just came here to visit family so we don't have any," Zack said.

"Enjoy your stay in Florida then," the driver said, as he closed the doors behind the passengers.

"So where do we go from here?" Zack asked his brother.

"Well, he told us to come to 2632 Mallard, and we're at the corner of Patterson and Katharine," Cody said as he looked at the street signs.

"That only tells us we aren't on the right street," Zack said.

"Well, there should be a gas station around here where we could buy a map," Cody suggested.

"Yea, but where?" All around them, they saw businesses and various restaurants, all closed. The combination of streetlights and the starts above illuminated the city. Through the darkness of the night, they could hear the array of the various insects that filled the city.

"I'm not sure. Let's just start walking until we find one.

Zack and Cody set out of their journey through the streets of the strange city. After all the time of traveling, it no longer seemed strange for them to be going aimlessly in a direction. This time though, they knew their destination was close. It was only a matter of finding it.

"I see a Speedway up ahead," Zack said after about a half hour of walking.

"Good, now we can finally see where we are going."

"Yea, my legs are getting tired." Cody sent his brother a glare and he apologized. "I'm kidding, mostly anyway."

"I'm tired too," the younger twin admitted, "but we can't stop when we are so close."

"Then let's go get the map, and find this guy," Zack said holding his fist up showing his determination, "And then after that, we're getting tacos."

Cody couldn't help but laugh at his best friend's comment. "Why tacos?"

"Why not?"

"All right, let's do it. When this is done we're getting tacos." Cody decided it wasn't worth it to argue logically with Zack. He needed to laugh from time to time, and being with Zack helped him to remember that.

The two entered the gas station and bought a map of the city. After sitting on the curb outside the store, they were able to find their destination. "I can't believe we walked the complete opposite direction," Zack said,

"Well now we know where to go," Cody said optimistically as they continued back on the road.

"True, with the sun rising, it will make it easier to see too." The rays of the sun at begun to brighten the night sky. It wasn't much lighter, but it showed the promise of a new day.

The tired twins walked along the side of the road as the morning traffic began picking up. After studying the map, Cody found several short cuts that would take them through the various neighborhoods. It would help avoid unwanted attention, and get them to the house quicker.

As they were traveling, they heard a scream in the distance. Instinctively, Cody ran off to investigate, with Zack quickly following him. A few seconds later, they saw an elderly women laying on the ground and a man holding a knife. "I said give me your purse or I will shove this knife into your head.

"Leave her alone!" Cody demanded.

"Just move along, this doesn't concern you." Before the thug could tell what had happened, Cody had run at him and punched him in the jaw. The man stumbled back, but then swiped his knife at the teen, who easily dodged it. Cody kicked the knife away with his right foot and then used the other one to strike the man in the chest, knocking him off his feet and onto his back.

"You okay ma'am?" Zack asked as he helped the lady to her feet, while Cody fought off her attacker.

"Now go, unless you want more," Cody demanded and the man saw he was outmatched. He swallowed his pride at being beat by a kid and ran off.

"Thank you so much," the lady said.

"Don't worry about it," Cody said.

"Yea, we're just glad you're not hurt."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I've met you before. It's rare that people outside our neighborhood come through here."

"Well, we are just travelers," Cody answered, "We found that coming through here would be easier than taking the main roads."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Not really," the younger twin said, "We have to get going."

"Wait here for a moment," the lady said, as she ran back into her house. Zack and Cody just looked at each other and silently decided to accept whatever kindness she was willing to give. There knew they weren't in any possession to refuse a gift.

She emerged again, this time carrying a bike. "I know it's not much, but this will help you get wherever you're going faster. My grandson uses it when he visits, but I think it will help you more."

The twins graciously accepted the gift. Zack got on the seat while Cody stood on the pegs on the back wheels and held onto his brother as they rode away.

They continued going through the city with their new transportation. With the official start of summer only a few weeks ago, combined with the hot Florida climate, the air felt as if it was saturated and sweet quickly formed on the twins. Zack pedaled the bike while Cody gave him directions, while trying not to fall off. After another half hour of traveling, they finally reached their destination.

As they approached the house, they noticed that the door was wide open. Cody knelt down and began examining the lock. "It looks like someone broke in."

"Think it's safe?"

"If we want answers, we have to keep looking."

The twins continued exploring the house, but there were no signs of anyone there. They found that someone had been there recently, when they saw an unmade bed in the bedroom. "He must have left in a hurry," Zack said.

"Or maybe someone took him away." As they were searching the house for any further evidence, Zack noticed another door that appeared to be forced open.

"What do you make of this Cody?"

"The lock was definitely broken on this one too. Looks like someone used a gun here." As they entered the once sealed room, they found a staircase that led them down. Nervously they walked into the basement.

The sound of the shoes against the metal floor echoed throughout the room. Flickering lights cast a dim light on the area. The twins cautiously moved forward, listening for any enemies ready to ambush them.

"It's not my imagination is it?" Cody whispered, wanting to stay as quiet as possible.

"Nope, this is the same place as our vision," Zack answered in the same hushed tone.

Moving forward, they wondered if the man from before would be there, but not a sign of life could be found. When they were about to leave, something on the floor caught Zack's attention. He reached down and picked up a piece of paper.

"Too dark to read down here," Zack said.

"Yea, let's take it upstairs."

The two emerged from the darkened basement and sat the paper on the kitchen table. "They're directions to this house," Cody said.

"So whoever did this must have dropped them when they were here."

"I don't think it is something that simple," Cody said, "It seems more likely that it's a trap. They left it there hoping that we would come to them."

"What should we do then?"

"If we want to get to the bottom of this, we might have to walk into a trap."

"I have an idea," Zack said.

"What?"

"Well, look around."

Cody did but saw nothing other than a slightly dirty kitchen. "I don't see anything."

"We are in a kitchen, there is a fridge, and I am hungry."

Cody couldn't believe his brother's obsession with food would take him this far, but it didn't surprise him. "Zack, we can't just steal from these people."

"Think about it this way. If we go and save this person, I'm sure he won't mind if we take some food, and if it belongs to the enemy, why not steal from them? Besides, it's easier to think and fight on a full stomach then an empty one."

"Ordinarily, I'd say you were crazy, but I think my hunger is making me delusional."

"I'll make us something," Zack said and Cody sat on the couch in the other room. While there, the younger twin's vision began fading.

When he blinked, he saw another place. There was a dark room with two people in it. With the lack of light, he couldn't make out any details. All he could see was that one was standing and the other was lying on the ground.

"In pain? Good." the one standing said in a gruff voice. "Don't worry, once we have Cody, we will release you from this prison, permanently that is."

Cody's vision flashed back to his reality. He tried to analyze the images, and as he looked down, he saw a golden light coming from his pocket. '_The orbs must be telling me something,' _he thought as he pulled them out of his pocket. By the time he pulled them out, the glow had faded.

He knew that it was a vision, but he didn't know if it was something going on now, or a glimpse into the future. What ever it was, he was scared. Someone was being tortured because of him. As Zack came into the room giving him a plate of food, his fears continued to grow. The older twin noticed this and sat down beside him. "What's wrong Cody?"

"The orbs showed me another vision. I saw someone being tortured and it's because of me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I don't know, but I think it might be you."

"If you aren't sure, then don't let it worry you."

"I'm scared," Cody admitted.

"Fear hasn't stopped you yet, so don't let it this time. We are so close."

"Yea, but I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

"Then we won't let it happen," Zack declared, "If it is telling you that the future will have me being tortured, then we will just have to change the future."

"Yea, you're right." Zack's confidence had rubbed of on him, and he knew that they couldn't just give up. It might be hard, but together, they would face whatever dangers came.

_

A/N: Anyone figure it out yet? Thanks for all the feedback, but that doesn't mean you can stop reviewing. When I first had the idea for this, I never would have guessed it would be this good, so I hope I can keep it up.


	13. Chapter 13: Into the fire, part 2

Chapter 13: Into the fire part 2

_"Now here we stand with their blood on our hands  
We fought so hard now can we understand  
I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can  
For freedom of every man"_

_Through the Fire and the Flames, Dragonforce  
_

With renewed determination and full stomachs, Zack and Cody left the house and began following the paper to their new destination. They knew that there was a good chance of it being a trap, but they also knew they had to get through it if they wanted to succeed.

As Cody pedaled the bike, he could feel the knife in his pocket rattle against his leg. He was afraid that he would have to use it to end more lives. It wouldn't be the first time he used it as an instrument of death, but he hated it. Each person slain meant one more person had their dreams ripped from them. A wife would lose a husband. A child would lose a parent. A family would lose one they loved. A best friend would lose the only one they could trust. He kept telling himself that he had no other choice, but it seemed like a weak excuse, in reflection of the harm he had caused. The dried blood on the blade was a constant reminder. No matter how many times he tried to wash it off, there were always small splotches that refused to leave. As long as he lived, Cody would have to carry the weight of those who's life he ended.

"You missed the turn," he heard from behind him.

"What?"

"I told you to turn at the last block, and you just kept going."

"Oh, sorry," he said as he turned the bike around. "I've just been thinking about that I might have to kill more people," Cody said, answering Zack's unspoken question.

Zack took a deep breath as the same worries began filling his mind. '_The Cody I knew two years ago wouldn't hurt a fly, and now he is being forced to kill. It's not right.'_

"How much farther?" the younger twin asked.

"Uh, it looks like, take a right in two blocks, then a left onto Rexford in about 2 miles, and I don't know how long the rest will take," Zack said studying the directions and map. Cody sighed at hearing the long distances. The bike made things faster, but it still took a lot of work. "Wait, I have an idea," Zack said.

"What is it?"

"We need to go back to the house."

"You're peddling when we go to the place then."

"Fine," Zack said as his brother turned around and peddled back to the house. It hadn't been long, but Cody hated that he had wasted the time and energy.

When they arrived back at the house, Zack ran through the front door and began looking for something as he scanned the various rooms of the house. "What are you looking for?"

"It has to be here somewhere." Zack's eyes finally locked onto their target. "Here they are," he said, grabbing an object off the kitchen counter. The older twin then began checking the various doors in the house, until he came upon the one he was looking for. Finally, after finding his target he instructed his brother to follow him.

The twins walked into the garage as Zack unlocked the door to the car. "Zack, you can't be serious."

"Oh, you want to drive?" he casually asked.

"That's Grand Theft Auto!"

"Cody, what do you think is worse, borrowing a car, or letting them win?"

"Zack," Cody couldn't believe how outrageous his brother's plan was, "Do you even know how to drive?"

"Kinda."

"Kinda!"

"Well, Bruce let me drive in the neighborhood a few times, and I turn 16 in a few months."

"Just try not to kill us," Cody said as he sat in the passengers seat and made sure his seat belt was secured.

Zack put the car in reverse and gently pulled out into the street. Cody was nervous being in a car with someone so new to driving, but he knew Zack wouldn't push himself too far, at least in a situation this serious. "Okay Codes, what do I do?"

Cody looked at the directions and map and guided his brother though the various roads. Things went smoothing as Zack gently drove through the neighborhoods. "Okay, now pull onto main street."

Zack slowly drove onto the busy road, almost causing the speedy car behind them to crash. "Normally I wouldn't say this to you, but speed up."

"Okay," Zack nervously replied.

"Well the instructions tell us to turn right in 5 blocks." The older twin carefully made his way through the traffic, attempting to make it safely while angering as few people as possible. When they reached the address, they pulled into the parking lot and discovered that it was a large warehouse.

Cody went to the front door, but found it was locked. They front window was tinted dark, hiding whatever contents were inside. "I have an idea," Zack said as he began backing up the car.

"Oh, no," Cody said to himself, as he backed away, thankful he wasn't in the car anymore. Zack unbuckled his seat belt as he shifted the car from reverse to drive. He unlatched the door and slammed on the gas pedal. At the last second, Zack leapt from the car. The vehicle collided with the building, knocking out the front window and finally coming to rest as it collided into a wall.

"Zack, you are an idiot!"

"We got in didn't we?"

The twins walked through the debris and noticed the entire place was shrouded in darkness. Using the fading light of day, they journeyed into the unknown.

When nearly all the light had faded, they found themselves in a large room, normally used for storage. Many footsteps echoed through the metal building, and the twins grabbed their knifes, knowing a fight was coming.

Lights from above suddenly shone on them, illuminating the area. The room was filled with enemies carrying a variety of weapons. Some armed with clubs, metal rods, knifes, and a few with guns. For a moment Cody feared for his brothers safety, but Zack said, "Let's take them down."

They had never felt this powerful, and the number of their foes didn't matter to them, and to make it better, they had each other to protect them.

Cody held his knife out as he harnessed his power to accelerate his own motions and senses. He charged at the front line, grabbing the closest foe's weapon and throwing it to the ground, before thrusting his blade into his body. Cody saw his brother right behind him, harnessing the same power. The older twin kicked one foe in the side who had been charging at Cody. They teamed up on the next goon as Zack kicked the feet out from under him and Cody elbowed his body into the ground.

Side by side, the brothers fended of the small army. The constantly focused on the attacking foes, and kept a look out for anything that got past their brothers' defense. As Zack shoved his knife into the heart of his attacker, Cody saw one who had escaped his brothers attention. Seconds before a knife was driven into Zack's body, Cody kicked the foe's side, slamming him into the wall.

The younger twin swung around, deflecting the blade of one who tried piercing his defenses. Cody ignored the fear in his enemies eyes as he slashed his blade across his side. As blood spewed out, his enemy fell to the ground clutching his side. For a second, Cody pitied the man and wanted to help, but he couldn't let himself be distracted by sympathy for his foes.

The gunmen who had thus far remind out of the battle, aimed their weapons into the fray. Upon hearing the sound of bullets pierce the air, the twins turned their attention to the distant enemies. Using superhuman speed, Zack and Cody ran along the side of the room, and before the gunmen could react, Cody had slashed his knife through all of them in one quick motion. The two that had been able to continue fighting after that aimed their guns at Cody. Before they could fire, Zack slammed his fists into the two's stomach The impact combined with the knife wound in the same place incapacitated them.

Cody surveyed the battle and saw nearly all the enemies were either dead or close to it. "That's enough! You have seen we are stronger than you," he said authoritatively, "I don't want any more to die, so stand down and get help for those who can still use it." The enemies saw Cody's logic, and did as he instructed. "Are you okay Zack?" he said in a softer voice to his brother.

"Yea, I'm fine."

"It's not over though."

_

A/N: Zack and Cody make it through that fight unharmed, but as Cody said, it's not over. I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter, but that's probably because I'm updating so fast. I plan to get the final part of this arc out later today, or early tomorrow. As always, reviews are awesome!


	14. Chapter 14: Into the fire, part 3

A/N: Wow, I haven't updated anything for over a week. Sorry for the delay, but I think it was worth it.

"_Yeah, If you're going through hell  
Keep on moving, face that fire  
Walk right through it  
You might get out  
Before the devil even knows you're there"_

_When you're going through hell, Rodney Atkins_

Chapter 14: Into the fire part 3

With one battle over, Zack and Cody went deeper into the warehouse. A faint light was all that illuminated the dark rooms. "I've been here before," Cody said.

"When?"

"It's just like my dream where you died," he answered solemnly as they entered another familiar room for him.

"Just because I died in your dream doesn't mean I will here."

"Zack, I think the orb of future might have been showing me what will happen through my dream." Fear was building inside of Cody. He wanted nothing more than to turn and run, but it was too late now. His heart was racing, hoping the future he feared would not come true.

As the twins walked through the dark corridor, they could make out a figure standing at the other side. "Who are you?" Cody demanded.

"The one who will kill you," he said. A bright red-orange light illuminated the room. The twins saw that the light was emanating from their enemies hand. Quickly they saw that it wasn't an ordinary light but fire. "This is David reporting. I have them where I want them. You can kill our prisoner now."

"Let's take him down quickly," Cody instructed as they charged at their foe. David lifted his palm out and sent a stream of fire at the twins. In the narrow hallway, there was little room for them to get away. The two feel to the ground to avoid the blaze that filled most of the room above them. When the attack had past, Cody saw several small flames on the back of his shirt. He rolled along the ground, putting out the fire before it could harm him.

Zack got up and ran at David again, thrusting his knife toward his heart. David stepped to the side to dodge it and with Zack so close to him, he nearly incinerated the older twin. Zack ducked as more fire went over him, and swept his legs, knocking David off his feet. As Zack began to rise, David slammed his foot into his chest, pounding him into the wall. Cody ran to help his brother, jumping into the air and kicking David into the next room.

"We have to get past him if we want to save the prisoner," Zack said as he recovered from the attack, "If we can just run past him, we can continue on."

"Okay," Cody said. He knew that this enemy was stronger than the ones they had battled before, and it would take a while to beat them. That time would be better spent finding the prisoner and saving him.

The twins hurried into the room, and ran along the side of the room to dodge David's fire. As Cody ran down the next hallway, he noticed the footsteps that were following him stopped. Turning around, he saw Zack still in the room with David. "Zack! What are you doing?"

"Holding him off so you can save the prisoner."

"We'll face him together then," Cody said as he began walking back toward the battle.

Zack shook his head. "I can handle him myself. We don't have time to argue."

Cody reluctantly walked away, knowing it would take too long to get through Zack's stubbornness. He hated to leave Zack, afraid of what might happen to him, but the only thing he could do now was to trust his brother could handle the fight, and continue on.

"You think you can beat me alone?"

"I don't think, I know!" Zack said strongly as he ran at his enemy. David sent a stream of fire at Zack, who rolled to the side of it. He aimed a kick for David's face, but he leg was blocked by his enemies arm.

"Simple martial artes won't be enough to beat me," David said as he pounded his fist into the ground, sending a sphere of fire in all directions. Zack covered his face with his arms and jumped back, but not soon enough to avoid the burns forming on his arms. The searing pain gripped him, and brought him to his knees. Tears began forming from the agony, but he knew that he had to turn the pain against his enemy instead of letting it cripple him.

Zack rose from the ground, harnessing as much power as he could. With super human speed, he dodged the continuing attacks of fire. When in range, he aimed another kick for David's head, who to his surprise, grabbed his foot out of the air. "You're not the only one who can accelerate his body in the heat of battle." David picked him off the ground, before throwing him into the wall.

The pain from the impact would have immobilized Zack, if it weren't for the pillars of fire David shot from his hands. He rolled along the wall, feeling the heat as fire collided with the spot where he just was. Zack tried to find a way to get close enough to attack, but every time he saw an opening, it was quickly closed by David's fire. Zack knew he was outmatched here, but in the heat of battle, his mind was too focused on surviving to think of a plan to win.

David increased the ferocity of his attacks, sending fire of wildly in Zack's general direction. The attacks nearly added to his burns. Zack only managed to remain unharmed with his powers, but he could tell being in this state for so long was taking its tool. David sent another fire attack at Zack, which caused him to jump out of the way. When he thought he had a moment to rest, he knelt down to catch his breath. As Zack's hands rested on the metal floor, scorching pain filled his hands. He knew what David's plan was. He was going to heat the room to such a point that Zack wouldn't have any safe place to stand.

Time was running out and he had to do something. The only way he could strike would be to reach David, but even if he could get around the fire, David was every bit as skilled in martial arts as him.

Zack clutched his knife, knowing he would only have one shot to end this. David began forming fire all around him, reading to send it in Zack's direction. Through the fire, Zack saw the opening he was looking for. He began running at David, and throw his knife at the fire warrior.

Hidden behind his own flames, David didn't see the knife, until it pierced his stomach. He flinched in pain for a second, and the fire in front of him began fading. Before David could react, Zack leapt through the flames and slammed his right fist into the side of David's head. He stumbled back in pain for a second, and Zack followed up by thrusting his left fist into his enemies jaw.

David felt his sight begin to fade as blood flowed from his mouth head and stomach. Zack pulled his crimson stained knife out from his foe. He gazed down, and saw his enemy drop to the floor. At this moment, he didn't know what to do. Zack could thrust his knife into him, finishing his foe, or just walk away. The burns all across his body told him to make the enemy pay, but seeing the helpless unconscious body made him begin to think otherwise. Before he could make his decision, his body gave in to the exhaustion of pushing his powers that far. With his body drained and pain covering every inch of it, he fainted on the spot, even as bits of his clothes continued to smolder.

* * *

Cody continued running through the building, looking for whomever he was searching for. Each second he wasted searching brought the prisoner another second closer to death. He reached out with his mind, hoping to feel something that would tell him where to go. Cody felt his mind connect with something, but it was faint. It was as if it was continuing to weaken as it called out for help.

The orb of sight began to glow and Cody reached into his pocket. As he pulled the orb out, his mind saw the path he had to take, so he ran with as much speed as he could harness.

Cody approached the room, but as he went to open it, he heard familiar voices from the other side.

"So where is that release you promised me?" a man said in a defiant voice. _'I know that voice, but how is that possible?'_

"Don't worry Mr. Martin; I just want to know for sure they are dead before I release you. That way you can die with the knowledge that you have lost everything." Cody recognized the voice from his vision. From the second he first heard it, he hated that person, but now that he knew the prisoners identity, he strengthened his resolve.

Cody punched down the metal door that and burst into the room. He ran to the prisoner who seemed shocked by his appearance. "Cody, it's a trap, get away."

"Don't worry Dad. I know, and I'm here to help."

"Well Mr. Martin, it seems for all your hard work, you have merely delayed our plans. I must admit that was quite a charade. Using the orb of thought to fake your own death so you could escape us was quite ingenious."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," Kurt said as he looked up at his son.

"Let's just get you out of here. I hope Zack's okay."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he is dead by now, and you will be joining him soon enough."

"Dad, we have to go."

"I'm sorry, but I'm chained to the floor. Kyoya wanted to make sure I wouldn't escape."

"And you won't," Kyoya said as he raised a gun and pointed it at the two. Kurt heard the gun click, and shoved his son to the other side of the room. As Cody fell back, he could only watch in horror as he saw the bullet fly across the room, and into his dad's head. It only took an instant for the life to leave the tortured body.

Cody just stared at Kyoya as his mind processed all that had happened. He had another piece of his life back, and this heartless creature just ripped it from him. His breaths began quickening as adrenaline coursed through his veins. All emotions faded except one. Rage.

"_No explanation will matter after we begin  
Unlock the dark destroyer that's buried within  
My true vocation! And now my unfortunate friend  
You will discover a war you're unable to win  
I'll have you know, that I've become…_

_Indestructible!  
Determination that is incorruptible!  
From the other side a terror to behold annihilation will be unavoidable  
Every__ broken enemy will know,  
That their opponent had to be invincible!  
Take a last look around, while you're alive,  
I'm an indestructible master of war!"_

_Indestructible, Disturbed_

Cody rose from his feet and his bloodshot eyes locked onto their target. He could feel his body breaking any boundaries of power he once thought he knew. "I will kill you," he said in a calm but dark and frightening voice.

"I've already killed your father, and I'm certain your brother is also dead. What do you think you can do?"

"I wish I could get to experience the revenge of killing you for all eternity, but since you only have one life, I guess that will have to do." Cody's entire body began shaking as his the rage was taking over. He would mourn later; nothing mattered now but revenge. Cody pulled his knife out of his pocket and threw it at Kyoya with as much force as his young body could muster.

The blade was perfectly on target, until Kyoya harmlessly grabbed it out of the air. "Disappear into nothingness," Kyoya said as in one swift motion, he pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger. As the bullet left the barrel, the boy's eyes locked onto it. Unlike usual, Cody didn't attempt to dodge it. He could feel a new power building through him, driving away any desire to run. His anger and hatred guided him as his right hand began glowing a faint gold. He reached out his hand and snatched the bullet out of the air. Cody simply crushed the bullet and metallic dust began falling from his hand. For once, his curious mind didn't care what this new power was, but only that it was the strength he needed.

Cody clenched his fist ready to see the life fade from this murderer. Kyoya backed up a couple steps, seeing the power that his enemy possessed. The younger twin wouldn't let this murderer escape. In the twinkling of an eye, Cody burst forward with raw determination. His fist slammed into Kyoya's stomach as the golden energy traveled through the fiend's body, robbing him of life.

Cody stood there for a second, enjoying the pain his foe was experiencing. He felt the sudden surge of power begin to fade, so he tossed the corpse off his fist and into the wall. As it hit the wall, a familiar sphere rolled out of his pocket. Cody bent down and picked it up. He placed it in his pocket along with the others.

As he walked out of the room, leaving the recently slain bodies, his emotions began pounding against the mental shield he had put up for the battle. He knew it was too soon to allow them to affect him, so he had to keep pushing them away. This wasn't the first time he had to block out his emotions after seeing something so tragic, but never before had the loss been that close to him.

* * *

A/N: Please review telling me what you thought of that. I'm not really sure what happens next, and I have three different paths the story could take from here. Ideas, questions, or any thoughts I would love to hear from you.


	15. Chapter 15: End and a New Begining

"_I've counted up the cost,  
I know the sacrifice__  
Oh and I don't want to die for you,  
but if dyin's asked of me__  
I'll bear that cross with honor,  
cause freedom don't come free."_

_American Soldier, Toby Keith_

Chapter 15: End and a new beginning

As Cody left the room, it took everything he had to hold back the barrage of emotions that were pounding against his soul. The anger still lived inside of him, but it had faded dramatically after the murderer had died. The sorrow and fear were the most prominent emotions. The sight of the blood pouring out of his dad's head as the skull rattled against the cold metal floor would forever be implanted in his memory. His mind was still racing with thoughts about Zack. It felt like a lifetime since he last saw his brother and hoped he didn't get into a harder fight than he could handle. Cody knew that beneath his confident words, his brother wasn't sure of his decision to stay and fight. If anything happened to Zack, Cody couldn't forgive himself, even though Zack was the one to make the choice.

The younger twin walked through the hallways, with a stoic expression covering his face. Now all that mattered was finding Zack and getting out of there. He would let himself cry later.

The room that had previously been illuminated by the blaze of David's fire was now lit by little more then faint lights hanging from the ceiling. Cody glanced around the room and saw his enemy's unconscious body on the ground. Crimson liquid flowed from his mouth and forming a small puddle on the ground. He felt no pity for the man who had tried robbing his brother of life.

His gaze finally fell upon the one he had been searching for. The battered from of Zack lied helplessly on the ground as smoke slowly rose from him. "Oh no, Zack!" Cody said running across the room and kneeling beside his brother.

He rolled his brother onto his back, hoping that he would be able to save him. The eyes that Cody had longed to see greet him were pinned shut as all emotions had faded from his face. "No, Zack, you can't die on me like this."

Cody could see the toll the battle had taken on Zack. His arms were covered in bright red as skin could be seen peeling off. Blood seeped from the open wounds as streams of red liquid blanketed the ground. "Zack, please speak to me," he solemnly said to the body as tears relentlessly poured out form his eyes. Just as he expected, no response. "Zack, no, you can't leave me like this!" he said as his whole body began shaking. The wall of he built up to keep out his emotions collapsed, filling his mind with feelings he couldn't identify.

All he could do was fall to knees over his brother as his tears slowly dripped on the blood stained body. His breathes hastened, and heart quickened as he saw Zack's chest slowly rise. The logical part of his mind screamed out among the clamor of emotions.

Zack was alive. He might have been horribly injured, but still alive, and that was what mattered. The injuries could quickly change that though, and Cody knew that. The exposed flesh told him Zack needed treatment and fast.

He knelt down and tried to lift the injured body from the ground. "Cody," a voice softly spoke as he placed the body over his shoulder.

"Zack," he said ecstatic to hear his brothers voice, "Just hold on, I'll take care of you."

"It hurts Codes," he said fighting the pain all throughout his body. During the heat of battle, the adrenaline kept him from focusing on the pain, but that relief had faded. Now it felt like a thousand needles were being slammed into this skin. As the exposed flesh connected with the air, he wanted to scream in from the scorching pain throughout his body.

"You'll be fine," Cody said, reassuring not just his brother but also himself.

"I'm sorry Cody, but I can feel my arms going numb. All the pain is fading. My body is shutting down."

"We've come so far Zack. You can't die on me now."

"I'm sorry Cody. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I don't regret this decision in the least, I'd do it all again if I could."

Cody sat his brother down, knowing he had to do something right away if he wanted to save him. As he lied on his back, Zack stared at the caring eyes of his brother. A smile of contentment spread across his face. Zack's eyes closed as he waited for the embrace of death to take him.

It didn't make any sense how he could just lay there so calmly and wait for death. Cody couldn't think straight, but he didn't want to lose the only person left he loved. He pounded his fist into the ground in a mix of sadness and anger. Despair filled him knowing that he was about to lose everything he had, and anger at himself for not being fast or strong enough to save Zack.

As the emotions rallied inside of him, he saw Zack's breaths get slower and father apart. He glanced at the blood that covered both his arms, little of it being his own. The blood from those he had slain as they came in was splashed across his body. On his left arm, the blood that had erupted from his father when the bullet pierced his skull. On his right fist and shirt was the blood from Kyoya that he had swiftly killed with his new power. Lastly, on his right shoulder and arm was the blood that meant the most to him. He still felt the warmth from Zack's blood that had flowed down his arm as he carried his brother.

Death surrounded him, taking all he cared about, but leaving him unharmed. It all seemed so wrong. He wished it would take him, instead of the innocents that he loved. Cody didn't care what it would cost, but he couldn't just let Zack die like that.

As his despair filled his entire body, a familiar power began growing inside of his body. His emotions were turning into something more. Cody didn't know how to explain it, but that didn't matter. Right now, there was one thing that he wanted above all else, and his desire began manifesting itself as a golden glow emanated from his hand.

He stared down at the body as each breath was getting fainter and falling apart. Cody placed his hand on Zack's chest and allowed instinct to take over. Unsure of what he was doing, Cody let the power flow out from his body and into Zack's. The wounds that were exposed began closing, and as Cody placed his other hand on Zack's neck, he could feel his pulse grow stronger and steadier.

Zack's eyes opened again and he saw Cody staring at him with the biggest smile he had ever seen. "I'm not dead?" he said as he could feel the feeling returning to his body, but without the pain

"No Zack," Cody said shaking his head, "You're still here."

"Good, cause I'm still craving tacos."

"Let's go then," he said as he helped Zack of the ground. "Can you walk?"

"Yea."

_

As they continued down the corridor, they noticed a certain car that that rested against a counter. Looking out from where the wall used to be, they saw the sun just over the horizon. "After what you had been through, you are not driving this time."

"I see your point."

The twins got into the car and Cody carefully pulled out into the street, as chunks of drywall fell off the roof. "You saw what happened to me, but what about you?" Zack asked as his brother concentrated on the road. Cody gritted his teeth and involuntarily slammed the gas petal down. Zack noticed a tear flowing down his brother's cheek.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the house," he softly replied. After all, he had seen and experienced that day, he had to block it all out to concentrate on driving. Focusing on the road helped him occupy his mind and before he knew it, they had arrived back at the house.

"Okay what happened there?" Zack asked once they had entered the kitchen.

"Dad was there," he solemnly responded.

"You mean, our dad!?" the older twin said excitedly.

Cody slowly nodded his head. "He was the one that we had been searching for this whole time."

"That's wonderful! Wait, why isn't he here with us now?"

"They shot him as soon as I found him." Hope and joy transformed into despair in a split second. Zack's eyes stared at his brother as he tried to make sense of this. "Those fiends were trying to use him to get to us. I killed that sadistic monster as soon as soon as I could see straight, but that didn't bring Dad back. And then…" Cody was doing everything he could to hold back the tears of the memories. "I thought I had lost you too."

"You still have me," Zack whispered as he wrapped his brother in a gentle embrace. He was devastated by the news, but he could grieve later. His younger brother needed a shoulder to cry on, and that's part of the reason Zack had traveled with him. They stood there for a couple minuets with Cody crying and Zack just holding him.

The phone rang in the distance, but they didn't even notice it. After the four rings, a voice could be heard from the answering machine. A single word caught Cody's and upon hearing it, he broke from Zack's embrace. The caller hung up right before Cody reached the phone. He played the message and learned how complex their situation was.

"Kurt, it's Kevin. We found out for sure that he has the orb, but he knows how to use it. John has increased the defenses surrounding him too, so once you meet with your sons give me a call. We have to move fast if we are to have any hope, so you need to come to California as soon as possible"

"John," Cody softly said.

"Do you know him?"

"John was the name of the man who adopted me."

"There have to be a million people named John out there. It's probably just a coincidence."

Memories of the pain began filling Cody's mind. The man he had run from a couple years ago looked to be in his future again. "I hope so, but I have a bad feeling about this."

_

A/N: You thought I had killed Zack back there, didn't you? I had two other versions of this chapter which I'm considering publishing when I get time. It took me a while to decide on this one, but both the others would take the story in a direction I didn't feel like going.


	16. Chapter 16: On the Road Again

_"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go  
So make the best of this test and don't ask why  
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time"_

_Time of your life, Greenday_

Chapter 16: On the road again

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

By this point, all I want to do is strangle my brother, but after two days of driving across the country, both of us have become impatient. I'm glad that Zack has recovered so miraculously, but I wish I could have used that power earlier. Maybe I could have saved Dad, but all I could think about was revenge. At the time though, it felt so right to crush that murderer like that, but what if I had been able to do things differently. The time I wasted, watching Kyoya suffer, almost made me too late to save Zack. I made the mistake of letting Dad die on me, and almost did the same for Zack.

"You okay bro?" he asks, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yea, why?"

"Well for one, you didn't tell me if we were there yet, and more importantly, I can see you crying." I should have known he would see into my thoughts. They always said that I was the sensitive twin, but Zack could be just as caring when it was someone he cared about.

"Sorry Zack," I say as I focus on the desert road ahead of us. Even with the air conditioner blowing full blast, the scorching heat from the New Mexico air fills the car. I try to use my arm to wipe the sweat off my face, but it is just as covered. "It's so hot here."

"Don't try to change the subject Codes. I know something has been bothering you."

For a brief second, I take my gaze off the road and look my brother in the eye. "What if I could have done more to save Dad?"

"You said they shot him through the skull. I don't see how anyone could survive that."

"Yea, but you shouldn't have survived those burns either, but I was able to make it like those injuries never existed."

"Cody, you can't dwell on what you could have done differently."

"I know that, it's just, I nearly lost everything back there."

"But you didn't, you still have me." Zack's right. I still can't believe all that he has been though with me these past few weeks. We've been face to face with death so many times, but so far, we've been able to elude it.

"What if that doesn't last forever?"

"As long as we have each other we can't lose, and I don't mean that in just a clichéd promise. I can feel it when we are together; we are stronger than alone." I know what he's talking about. It's hard to explain, but when I saw him in the park, I could feel my power grow. For a while, I just brushed it off as adrenaline, but with all the time I've spent with him, I can see it's something more.

"You've felt it too then."

"Yea, when I fought those guys in the park, it wasn't my own power that let me win. When you arrived I felt myself becoming more powerful and faster."

* * *

Even though he tried to leave, I couldn't let him get away again. After being with my twin for 13 years, the two without Cody were the hardest ones of my life. Through all my life, and especially recently, everything Cody has done he was putting himself last and others first.

"How did you know I was going to leave early that morning?" my younger twin asks me.

"What do you mean?"

"When you decided to go with me, you knew I was going to leave, didn't you?"

"Yea I did."

"How?"

"I saw all the fun that you were having that day, and I could tell that you wanted it to last forever. I also saw that you knew it couldn't."

"Am I that easy to read?"

I can sense the sadness in his voice "You think that after all that time together, you could hide that from me? I knew how kind and caring you were and that you wouldn't want to put me through you leaving. I figured that was the only way I could make sure that you would stay with me here or back there."

"Yea, but admit it. This isn't how Zachary Martin wanted to spend his summer vacation."

That statement… was definitely true. When school got out, my plans were to have a fun summer playing video games with friends, and finally get Charlotte to go out with me. "You're right bro; this isn't even close to what I hoped for during my time off school. I wouldn't trade it for anything though."

"What about all the fighting we have been through?"

I never thought I would see so much blood in my life. During the past few weeks, I have seen dozens of people die, many of them because of me. I remember how I used to make fun of Cody for being so squeamish, but now it hardly fazes him. It takes everything I have to keep from barfing when I see people's flesh falling off. "I honestly don't know how you have done it for so long," I tell him, "I feel I could get used to having to fear for my life every second of the fight, but seeing my opponents die like that…"

"I know what you mean." I notice his arms shaking and water building up in his eyes. "I've ended countless lives all in the rational of saving myself."

"Not just yourself Codes, but me too. Each of those battles, I would have died if it weren't for you."

"Is that why you stayed behind to fight David, so you could prove you could defend yourself?"

"I have to admit, there is some truth to that, but that's not all. I didn't want to slow you down anymore. If it weren't for me being so weak, you wouldn't have gotten shot."

"Don't blame yourself for that," Cody says as he shakes his head, "In fights like that, injuries happen. Just don't overestimate your power when running into battle. If we have to run from a fight in order to live, then it's worth running. I made that mistake the first time I was shot."

He had never told me about that. "What happened?"

"It was a few months after I started living on the streets of Chicago, and I had begun to discover my powers. Some thug was trying to rob an old lady so I went to help her. I thought I'd be able to stop him with my powers. Until he pulled out a gun."

"Oh no."

"Yea," he says softly, "I could see the bullet moving through the air, but I couldn't force my body out of the way fast enough. It pierced my stomach, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital."

It doesn't surprise me that he would get hurt trying to help someone else. It doesn't matter if it's someone he knows or not. "How bad of damage did it do?"

"It was the most pain I had ever been in. After a few weeks I was mostly back to normal, but it continued hurting for a couple more months."

"I'm so sorry Cody."

"You didn't even know about it, and even if you did, there was nothing you could do. Luckily the Pacific Garden Missions* took me in while I recovered. It's truly amazing what they do for the homeless of Chicago, but after a couple months, I knew I couldn't keep my past secret anymore, so that's when I left."

"So much has happened this then, hasn't it?"

"Yea, you mind if we pull over for a bit? I want to take a closer look at that letter from Dad."

"Sounds good to me." We knew that there wasn't much time, so we left as soon as we could, using his vague message as our only directions.

* * *

_"Cody, Zack, if you are reading this, then it means that I wasn't able to meet you as planned. There is so much I wish I could tell you, but I can't let all  
of that information fall into enemy hands. The best advice I can give you is to be careful out there. Their agenda  
looks to kill us, and it's a good chance they've succeeded in getting me. I have friends,  
ones that will help you, so go to California and find a person named Kevin. I know it's hard, but you can reach this utopia.  
Remember all of your knowledge, that you can't abandon__.  
Align you search to when it all began for you. Go to the start of the finish of this, and he will explain to you what I could not, so keep looking.  
Don't give up, please, for me.  
One last time, I love you so much, both of you were always so special."_

"It's a good thing you found that letter Zack."

"Thank my stomach."

"Yea, only you would find something hidden under a tub of ice-cream."

"What I don't get is, why did he go through the trouble of hiding it, but then not tell us everything?" Zack asked.

"Don't be so certain about that," Cody said, "I can feel that the message is more than just the words. There is a reason he is being so cryptic."

"And that reason would be?"

"I'm working on it." 'O_kay Dad, what are you trying to tell us? It feels like every word is in this for a reason, so what is the message? You are telling us to go to where it began along with the start and finish. What does it mean?'_ Cody continued to ponder the hidden meaning, looking for answers in everything. "I think I got it."

"That's great Cody, but look behind us." Glancing behind him, Cody saw a low flying helicopter a fraction of a mile away.

"That's probably just because Holliman air force base* is a couple miles away," Cody said trying to dismiss both Zack's and his fears as it continued to approach them. "Let's not take any chances though."

"Incoming!" Zack yelled as he saw the helicopter aim a missile at the car.

* * *

A/N: A double cliffhanger this time. First, the hidden message in the letter, and now the helecopter after them. I have to do something to make up for no updates for 3 weeks. Seriously, sorry about that but real life has been busy. Also, when I started writing chapter 15, my goal was to get a total of 75 reviews for this story with that chapter. For a while I didn't think I'd get it, but thanks to a couple later reviews, I beat my goal, so thank you once again, and I hope my writing can continue to improve

Also, Pacific Garden Missions is a actual homeless shelter in Chicago, and Hollimon Air Force Base exists in New Mexico.


	17. Chapter 17: One Final Gift

"_Midnight on the valley below still the horsemen follow through  
There's a forest that leads to the foot of the hill that inside the magic holds  
Seven strong they ride on along to the place where sorrow lies  
And the shadow of the night will no longer hide all their mysteries come undone"_

_Starfire, Dragonforce_

Chapter 17: One final gift

"Floor it Cody!" Zack yelled as his brother struggled with the ignition. Finally, the car started with the missile flying through the air after them. Knowing he couldn't outrun it, Cody yanked the wheel to the side and the car flew off the side of the road, careening into the desert. The missile crashed into the road ahead of him, filling the air with a mix of concrete and sand. The dust from the attack blinded the twins to everything around them.

"That's not just a normal air force plane," Cody said as guided the car the best he could through the bumpy vegetation.

"It's coming again," Zack said with a look of fear covering his face.

"How do we beat something like this?" Cody said. He had never been in a battle like this, leaving him at a loss for knowledge, and truly afraid..

"For now, just run," the older brother said, as he saw it prepare another attack. Gunshots rang out as back window of the car shattered. Zack's breaths hastened as he felt the hopelessness of the situation surround them.

"We can do this," Cody said, trying to alleviate both of their fears..

"How?"

"I don't know," he admitted. The car skidded behind a cactus, protecting them as more bullets came.

Cody wanted to harness the power he used to kill Kyoya and then save Zack, but he didn't even know how he did that in the first place, and even if he did, how could he stop something like a helicopter.

"We need a plan," Zack said.

"Yea, this is one battle we can't just power our way through."

"What if we use its own power against it?"

Before Cody could answer, the copter flew around them and let loose another round from the machine gun. Cody drove the car away, but not before the spread of bullets pounded into the metal frame of the car. Fortunately, they didn't cause further harm.

"I don't see how we could," the younger twin said, "They seem to know what they're doing."

"We can't let them just kill us though," Zack said.

"That gives me an idea," Cody said as he continued evading the assault the best that he could.

"What is it?" the older one asked as they heard the air escaping a tire behind them.

"If we can convince them that they killed us they will likely exit the helicopter and try taking the orbs from us."

"And that's when we strike?"

"Exactly."

Cody abruptly shut off power to the car and had it crash into a cactus. The twins crouched down, acting as if they had been injured during the fight.

"It's landing," Zack said as he heard the helicopter approach them.

"Yea, you ready?"

Zack nodded as they heard another round of gunshots ring out, shattering the remaining windows.

"Cody, help!" Zack screamed when a shard of glass flew into his arm. Blood spurted out as he tried extracting it from his skin.

They heard footsteps behind them and knew they couldn't be discovered. Cody knew he couldn't move to help Zack and risk blowing their cover. He gazed to his twin with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

Zack nodded back, cringing, but doing his best to stay quiet through the pain. They heard their pursuers approach from both sides, and they grabbed their knifes, hoping to end the fight quickly. The younger twin held up three fingers.

'One," Cody mouthed as they could hear voices from behind him.

'Two,' his brother followed suit.

"Three," they said in unison unlatching the doors. Cody burst out, and noticed the gun his foe held. With his super speed, he grabbed the weapon out of his hand, and swiftly shoved his knife into the man's stomach.

With Zack's injury, it was harder for him to fight, but he wouldn't allow that to stop him. He ran, narrowly dodging a bullet, and kneed his foe in the chest, then brought his fist across his face. Zack ended the foe with a knife shoved into the back of his neck.

The older twin fell to his knees with the pain gripping him. His brother quickly ran over to help him remove the shard of glass. As the glass was removed, it looked like it had been painted red.

"You alright Zack," Cody asked as he helped his brother back to his feet, seeing the man he had slain.

"Yea, my arm is killing me though," he said flinching with his hand covering the wound.

"Let's get back to town and get something to fix it," Cody said gently helping Zack into the car.

"Sorry for slowing us down."

"Don't worry about it," Cody said shaking his head as he turned the key.

The sound of metal grinding against itself could be heard. "It won't start."

"And we're too far away to walk back to town," Zack said.

"Well, I don't know how to fix cars, do you?"

"Not really, but I think I have a better idea," the older brother said looking behind them.

"Zack, I'm not riding in a helicopter with you!"

"Would you rather walk?"

"You've never piloted one and you don't even have a license for a car!"

"Hey, I've flown them in Grand Theft Auto before."

"You think that means you can fly a real one?"

"It's a start and we don't really have a better choice."

Against his better judgment, Cody agreed and the twins walked to the vehicle that had only moments ago tried killing them. They got in, with Zack in the pilots seat and Cody sitting nervously beside him.

"Uh, now what do I do?" Zack quietly said, hoping Cody didn't hear him. The many gages and various readouts meant absolutely nothing to him. He decided that the best thing to do was to push something slowly and hope they would move.

The older twin pushed forward the lever on his left and the blades began spinning. "Sweet I'm in the air," Zack said as they began rising.

"Zack, you're starting to scare me," the younger one said with his voice shaking as he began gripping his seat.

"Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing," Zack said, not fooling either of them.

Next, he gripped the lever in front of him. "Now, if it's like the video games, I just push this forward, and." To his brother's surprise, the vehicle moved forward. "And we're airborne!" Zack said as joy was filling his body. Logically, it would be impossible for a hunk of metal to be able to fly like that, but now they were free from the grip of gravity.

"Great, now take us back to the road," Cody said, still nervous about his brothers flying abilities.

Zack released the lever in front of him, and they plane stayed hovering in the air.

"You do know how to turn this thing, don't you?"

"Um, of course," he said arrogantly, moving the same lever to the left. The helicopter began leaning to the left and almost flying on its side. Zack quickly jerked the lever back to its central possession. "That wasn't right."

"You think?"

"Let me try this," Zack said trying to move the lever by his side to the left. "It won't move."

"Don't break it."

"Well, maybe these pedals on the floor do something." Zack began pushing the pedal on his left, and for once, it did what he wanted it to. "Okay, so the pedals turn this thing."

Zack slowly moved the helicopter back over the main road and they continued on their way, with Zack enjoying his new toy more then he should and Cody fearing for his life.

"Zack, look out!"

"What there aren't any cars?"

"No, but there's a bridge you're about to hit!"

Zack pushed the lever on his left forward and the plane rose, passing harmlessly over the cars.

"Too close Zack," Cody said once he had stopped hyperventilating.

"Well, we lived," Zack replied nonchalantly.

For the next few moments, they continued, hovering over the road in order to stay on track. Zack had learned the basics of flying the vehicle and Cody studied the various instruments Zack was ignoring.

"Is that a gps?" the younger one asked, pointing to an instrument.

"Might be, but even if it was, we don't really know where we're going."

"Yea, we can put in the address and it should take us there."

"What address?" Zack asked as he focused on the path ahead of him.

"The one in the letter. He encoded it," Cody explained.

"What do you mean?" Zack said. He knew that there was something more to the letter, but had no idea what.

"He hid the address in the letter. When it said, go to when it all began, along with the start and the finish, I'm guessing it's the address."

"I'm lost."

"The letter was an acrostic. The word Colorado was the first letter of every line and Lasangel, which I'm guessing is Las Angelus, was the last letter of every line."

"What about 'when it all began?'" Zack asked, still confused by the hidden meanings.

"He seemed to be wording that part specifically to me, so that would mean it was the time I was born. 8:42. He wants us to go to 842 Colorado Street in Las Angelus."

"Okay then, how do we get there?"

"Hold on, I'm plugging it into the gps." Cody began entering their destination into the system.

"Proceed forward 58.7 miles and merge right."

"Got it boss," he said to the machine.

"Warning, you are likely exceeding the maximum speed limit," it said in a very polite tone

"Screw you, boss," he said matching its tone.

"Y'know, she has a point," Cody said laughing at his brother's argument with technology.

"Don't make me turn this thing around." They both laughed remembering the conversations they had with their mom in a less airborne van.

"How is your arm feeling?" the younger twin said switching to a more serious tone.

"It still hurts, but it's stopped bleeding for the most part.

"Well, at least it's getting better," Cody said reaching for something in the seat behind Zack.

"What's that?" he asked as his brother applied something to his arm.

"A bandage from a first aid kit they had in here. It doesn't seem to be as bad as it could have been, but we can't let it get worse."

"Thanks Cody, for everything."

_

A/N: Some big events are coming soon, ones that I'm getting really excited about. Thank you for reading and I always love hearing what you think of this story.


	18. Chapter 18: Alliances

_"So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean  
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes  
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between  
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide"_

_New Divide, Linkin Park_

Chapter 18: Alliances

"Captain, have you heard from the men that I deployed," he asked.

"No general."

This worried him. It wasn't a hard task and air force pilots should be more than competent enough. Although, he had thought the same thing about others who were now dead. "Where is the helicopter now?"

"The signal has them currently over Arizona."

Now he knew that something was wrong. The tracking device planted in Kurt's car showed they were still in New Mexico. He couldn't underestimate the twin's power anymore. Many had made the mistake before and few had escaped alive. This time he wouldn't hold back. If his suspicions were confirmed, he would see to their death personally. "Thank you sir," he said walking out of the room and opening his cell phone.

* * *

The twins continued flying through the clouds with Cody starting to get used to Zack's enjoyment of his new toy. "Are you at least paying attention to the readouts?"

"I'm not dumb enough to read while driving a helicopter."

"I mean the instruments."

"Why would I be playing my guitar at a time like this?"

"The things that tell us altitude, attitude, and velocity."

"Come again?"

The younger twin wanted to slam his head into the metal dash, but decided that receiving brain trauma would not keep them any safer. "The things that point to numbers."

"Oh those, nope not at all."

"Why not?!"

"Because, I have absolutely no idea what they mean."

The twins' argument was cut short by a ringing sound coming from between the seats. Cody picked up a cell phone, obviously left there by the pilots.

"Think we should answer it?" Zack asked.

"It's probably for the people who were after us, so it could give us information." Cody said picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Are the twins dead yet?" a voice said that made Cody nearly drop the phone in fear.

When he felt he could talk without his voice shaking too much he answered. "Not yet, we are continuing to pursue them." Cody said, faking a deep voice.

"I see, keep up your pursuit." he said flatly.

Cody hung up the phone as fast as he could, and he felt his heart racing. He took several deep breaths to calm himself before telling Zack what he learned, "That was defiantly the John who adopted me, and I'd know that voice anywhere."

"Are you okay bro?"

"I don't know," the younger twin said uneasily. When Cody ran away, he thought it would be the last time he would have to see John. His heart beat rapidly as he tried to push back the many horrors embedded deep within his mind. He was afraid. Throughout his journey, he had been worried many times, but never felt fear like this. Pure terror consumed him.

Zack noticed the unfamiliar look on his brother's face, and knew something was wrong. He wished he had the words to comfort his best friend, but he had no idea how to relate to pain like that. The physical pain must have been bad, but he knew that it was just as bad to be alone through everything he experienced. "You're not alone this time though," Zack said as he felt tears well in his eyes, "I'm with you, and that won't change."

"Thank you Zack, but you don't know what he's capable of."

"And if I did, it would only make me hate him more." Zack knew his brother didn't like remembering the time with that monster, but he was almost excited to meet him. It would give him the chance to pay him back for everything he did to his best friend. "We can stop him together," he said confidently.

"I hope you're right," Cody said with terror continuing to fill him.

The twins continued flying through the air, with Cody still consumed with fear. Zack tried to cheer him up several times, but soon realized that this would take more than a few comforting words to rescue him from his fear.

* * *

"Warning, you are running low on fuel," the helicopter's system said.

"Stop telling me where to…WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Zack said once the message registered.

"That isn't good."

"Since when is running out of fuel a good thing?" Zack said as he started to panic.

"Well, we aren't too far away. If we can make it last long enough, we should be okay."

"You sure about this Codes?"

"Not really, but I saw a couple parachutes if I'm wrong."

* * *

"Will you be ready this time?"

"Yea."

"We can't afford a mistake like before."

"I understand John."

"Good, I know what you are capable of. Don't underestimate them again, and I know we can destroy them."

* * *

"Okay, it looks like we are over LA, and almost out of fuel," Cody said analyzing the data.

"That means I have to land this," Zack said expressing his disappointment. "Been nice knowing you Hele."

"You named it after only a few hours."

"When else will I have the chance to name a helicopter?" Zack said as he pulled the lever beside him, slowing brining the vehicle closer to the ground."

"We have to be careful where we are going to land it," Cody instructed his brother.

"It'd be nice if we could find somewhere to hide it, so we could use it later. It's a lot faster than walking or driving a car."

"Too bad LA isn't the easiest place to hide something like this, and even if we could, we still have the problem of fuel."

"True, most gas stations don't sell helicopter fuel." Zack aimed it for a field he saw below. He guessed it would be safer to land there, instead of on the roof of someone's house.

"Careful Zack."

"Aren't I always," he said as the vehicle continued to descend. Cody contemplated using the parachutes, but decided it was too late for that.

Several people were looking up at the aircraft, and swiftly ran away from it as a powerful gust of wind pushed light objects away. Zack's lack of experience caused it to descend much faster than he intended.

"Slow us down!" Cody screamed as the pilot panicked, pressing whatever buttons he could. Eventually, after accidentally firing the machine gun, they slowed as the helicopter collided with the ground.

The blades continued to spin, as the twins climbed out of the wreckage. "You okay Zack," Cody said as he climbed out of the passenger seat. He raised his hand to his head, and seeing the blood run down his fingers, confirmed his suspicions. In the chaos of metal falling around him, he thought he felt a piece of metal slash across his skull, but now he knew for sure. Looking at his arms, he saw several other cuts, but he could still walk without much pain.

"Yea, I'm fine," Zack said, walking around the once flying vehicle. He had several scratches along his arms and legs, but nothing the plagued him too much. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, if I remember the directions, we need to take this street about five miles then turn on Colorado Street." The twins walked away from the smoldering wreckage, not letting their minor injuries hinder their journey. Behind the horizon of infinite skyscrapers, the setting sun cast a red glow throughout the sky.

They had seen bright red like this before, but for once, it was a sign of something natural and beautiful. This time, it wasn't accompanied by the screams of a dying soul, but of the wondrous cycles of nature. For once, red showed that everything was as it should be.

* * *

After several miles of traveling, the twins were tired but with their destination so close, they knew they had to keep going. A gentle rain has started to fall, making the night even darker. They walked in silence, wanting nothing more then to finally have a place to rest, even if it was only temporary.

"Give me all your money," a voice said from behind Cody, and the younger twin felt an object press against his back. He had experienced this more times then he would like, not always being the victim.

"And if I don't," he said tensing his body, ready for a fight.

"I don't have a problem with killing you," the person said as he quickly brought the knife to Cody's neck. The twin subtly reached for his blade. With his weapon in grasp, he knew what he had to do.

Cody used his speed to spin out of the grasp, and swung his knife at the thief. The stranger brought his weapon to block the twin's attack. Both of them were shocked at the others speed. Zack prepared to join Cody in the fight.

The thief ran at Cody, slashing his blade down at him. The twin leapt back to dodge, and swiftly ran around him, preparing to end the threat before he knew what hit him. The thief turned, and once again blocked the attack in another clash of steel. "How is he so fast?" Cody said mostly to himself.

Zack aiming his knife for the stranger's chest. The thief turned and once again easily matched the twins' speed. However, turning to block the attack forced him to take his eyes of the younger brother and he took this opportunity to tackle the thief to the ground. The thief grasped his knife, but before he could strike, Cody rammed his knee into the bandit's wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon. The younger twin was holding him down with his arms and other leg, surprised at how light his foe was.

"Another one of you people," he said with hatred in his voice

"Give up, unless you want to die," Cody said, knife raised, ready to strike if necessary.

"I know when I'm outmatched. I just thought that John would be the last of your kind I'd encounter."

"Wait, you know that monster?" Cody asked. While there were thousands of John's out there, the hatred the thief had made him certain it was the same one.

"Another one of his experiments I'm guessing," the thief said with disgust in his voice.

"What do you know about him? Zack asked.

"Well if you'd tell your friend to stop crushing me, I'd tell you."

"How do we know you won't attack us again?" Zack demanded

"I may be a thief, but I won't hurt someone who's suffered the same horrors of me." Cody got off the stranger, but both twins continued to hold their weapons, ready for the battle to resume.

"Okay, talk," Cody demanded.

"My name is Anton, and I was 14 at the time, on the streets like this, stealing to stay alive."

"What happened to your parents?" Cody asked sympathetically.

"You mean one of those many foster families? Don't know, don't care," he said holding up his arms. "Anyway, I saw this rich looking guy. Suit and tie and all that crap. I figured him losing some money wouldn't hurt much so I did the same trick I did to you guys, stuck a knife to his back and told him to give me his money. I later learned my target was John."

"Good target," Cody said with hatred in his voice.

"Yea, but not for me. Before I could see what he did, he turned and shoved his fist into my stomach. I tried running, but the next thing I knew, I was on the ground with his boot in my back. I didn't know how he did it and I was in too much pain to care. He said something about an offer to get me off the streets, so I accepted. That was a mistake."

"What did he do?"

"At first it was all good, his men provided me with food and things to live convertibly in his mansion of sorts. His only condition was that I wouldn't leave, which didn't bother me any. Soon though, the experiments started. He said that I was being used for something great. After countless hours of painful injections, I finally started to show the results they wanted. They said that I was the first of many. He taught me how to control time around me."

"Genetic engineering I'm guessing," Cody said.

"What do you mean Codes?"

"We inherited our powers in someway, but it looks like John was rewiring his DNA to give him what we've had."

"If you say so. I really didn't care what great things were happening to me," he said mockingly, "I just knew I had to get out of there. I'd say it was about a year later when I escaped."

"Then he must have gone looking for new sources, namely me."

"I feel for you man. It must have been a living hell being with him."

"It was," Cody said softly.

"When we find him, we're going to make him pay," Zack said slamming his fist into his palm.

"Yea, we can't allow him to hurt anyone else like us."

"Count me in. I'll make sure no one else has to suffer the same horrors as us."

The twins and the thief continued along through the dark and rainy streets. Zack and Cody were still suspicion of their new companion, but they knew that someone else who wanted John dead would be an asset.

After nearly another hour of traveling, they came across what appeared to be a normal two-story brick house with the numbers 842 nailed beside the front door. Zack rang the doorbell, to see a confused man in his thirties answer.

"Can I help you?" the stranger asked.

"Would you happen to be Kevin?" Cody said

"Yes, I'm sorry, but don't believe I recognize you?" he said, running his hand through his short black hair trying to identify these strangers.

"No, but I believe you know our father, Kurt Martin."

"Oh, you are his children! Come in, come in." The twins quickly followed, but Anton hesitated, standing outside in the rain, unsure if he was welcome.

"You too Anton," the older twin said to the thief

* * *

They sat around a luxurious coffee table, with the twins on the couch and Kevin and Anton on luxurious chairs surrounding the table. Zack and Cody were thinking the same thing about the place, but felt it would be out of place to comment, but Anton had no such problems with speaking his mind. "Dang, you must be a billionaire to afford a place like this."

Zack and Cody were horrified to hear Anton say something like that to a person they just met, but Kevin just laughed at the comment. "I admit, I don't worry much about money, but I'm no where near a billionaire. Anyway, how is my friend?"

The happiness and laughter that filled the room was replaced by an awkward silence. "He died," Cody said somberly.

Kevin was taken back by the revelation. "So they actually got to him," he said sadly, "The last time we talked, he said they were closing in on him, but he wanted to stay there until he could meet you. He thought that he'd be able to allude them with the orb of thought."

"They shot him right in front of me. I was with him during his last breaths."

"I'm so sorry Cody, both of you," Kevin said.

"Yea, I never knew how much they put you through," Anton added.

"I haven't heard anything about you," Kevin said to the thief, not wanting to think about his friend's death.

"We just met him earlier today," the older twin said.

"Yea, he's after John too."

"Then you've come to the right spot."

"How did you get involved in this?" Cody asked.

"I actually met Kurt when I was investigating his death. You see, I'm in the FBI, and the circumstances of the deaths seemed too unusual to be an ordinary accident, or even random murder. Carey's body was found in the river quickly after the incident, but to our surprise we couldn't find Kurt's. Everyone else seemed to dismiss this as a fluke, but it seemed too unusual to me."

"The orb of thought must have clouded their minds," Cody said.

"Yea, I was the only one immune to the effects of it."

"What made you different?" the older twin asked.

"The same thing that sets you apart. For some reason we couldn't figure out, the orbs can't manipulate us like everyone else."

"Then how did the finally find him?" Cody thought aloud.

"Maybe one of his other experiments found your dad," Anton suggested.

"That must have been what Kyoya was used for," the younger twin said.

"John's here isn't he?" Zack asked.

Kevin nodded.

"Then I say it's time to put an end to this guy. If he has the orb of memories like you said, then we are the only ones who can stand up to him," Zack said standing up, determined to put an end to this.

"I'm in. He'll regret giving me these powers when I kill him with them," Anton said determined.

"Alright, I'll start calling my friends to prepare our attack."

* * *

"What's wrong Cody?"

Cody gave him a false puzzled look.

"I saw you crying when we discussed attacking John."

"I'm scared Zack," he said softly.

"Don't be."

"You don't know all that he did to me. I don't know if I can take seeing him again."

"You're not alone this time though. Remember, if things get bad, I'll be here to protect you," Zack said placing his hand on Cody's shoulder, "I promise, he will never hurt you again."

"I guess you're right," he said uneasily.

Silence filled the guest room for a moment as the twins stood there. By the light of moon coming through the window, Zack could see his brothers face, and saw the fear continuing to plague him. "Bro, he should be the one afraid of us. We can take down any foe together. You've been able to outsmart countless enemies, and that fiend will regret making a foe of you. We can do this!" he said thrusting his fist into the air.

"Yea, you're right we can."

"Good, now let's go to sleep before you change your mind."

* * *

**A/N:** So now you are starting to get some answers, and of course more questions. Any questions, comment, or anything please leave in a review, since I never stop enjoying those.


	19. Chapter 19: The Long Night

_"For saving me from all they've taken  
Let my armor fall again  
Giving me the strength to face them  
Feeling it taking over  
Now, on a path to take it all away  
There can be no better way of knowing"  
The Night, Disturbed_

Chapter 19: The long night

It couldn't have taken more than 5 seconds after Zack's head hit the pillow, that he was whisked away into the world of sleep. However, his younger brother couldn't find rest as easily.

Throughout his entire journey, he had been running from those after him, but he never knew how close to him they really were. A year and a half ago, he ran from that terrible man, and now he was willingly returning to him.

While it terrified him, he wasn't as surprised as he thought he should be. After all, why else would John have the orb of future at his house? Everything made sense now. John wanted Cody for his power, and coordinated his parents' deaths to do it. Cody wanted nothing more then to make him pay for all the innocent lives he had ruined, but that's when the fear struck him.

Someone who could orchestrate murders like that and led such a force wouldn't be easy to take down. Cody knew his powers were great, and when he unleashed his fury against Kyoya, he sensed even more buried within. However, he had no idea how to access it, and if he did, would that be enough?

The younger twin remembered the message from Kevin where he heard about John's master of the orb of memories. Even if the twins were immune from that because of their powers, that didn't mean John didn't have more powerful weapons to throw at them.

He then remembered the orbs he carried with him. Even as he slept, he kept them in his pocket, wanting as few people to know about them as possible. He pulled out the orb of future, hoping to know something of the coming battles. Though he still didn't know how to use their power, he tried focusing his mind on the orb of future, hoping to see something

The sights of the dark room were replaced with images of drops of blood on the ground. He heard someone crying, but he didn't know who. He tried focusing on the images but to no avail. Even at best, he could make out only brief sounds and sights. He heard the all too familiar sound of metal ripping through flesh, telling him that more death was certain.

Even the faint images faded, leaving him once again in the dark room. He saw Zack's chest continue to gently rise and fall as he laid in the above him. Cody shifted in his blankets on the floor. After what seemed like an eternity of struggling, he finally forced his restless mind to sleep.

* * *

He found himself among surroundings that he had seen a million times before. The couch in the middle of the room facing to TV, the two doors on the other side of the room, and the table right before him seemed so familiar to him. Sunlight filled the room as he looked down at this homework, not caring what it was, but happiness started building up in him. This was how everything was supposed to be.

"That is no longer your life," a dark and terrifying voice told him. The scenery quickly dissipated into another house. The light that filled the other room was replaced by the dark of the night. Every moment he had been here had been filled with pain and fear.

"John," he said as confidently as he could, "I'm not afraid of you." His voice was shaking and he wanted nothing more than to get out of there.

"I told you, I am your new father, and you will address me as such."

Cody only had one father, and he would not insult such a great man but giving that title to another. "Get away!" he said as the tall man approached him. His dark black eyes gazed right through Cody, and he knew what was coming. The twin slowly backed up, until tripping on the coffee table, sending him onto the floor.

The monster continued to approach his son, feeling no symphony for his bruised arm. He slammed his foot into Cody's stomach. He wrapped himself into a ball to protect him from more injuries, but the boot continually slamming into his back continued to fill him with pain.

Finally, the impacts had stopped, and Cody thought he was safe, at least for a time. His hopes were dashed when he heard the monster speak. "Get up boy!"

John grabbed Cody by the throat, and lifted him off the ground. Being forced to move like that caused sharp pains to erupt in his body, telling him that something was broken. John continued restraining him by the throat and then he slammed the boy's body into the wall. "You will submit to me."

"N-no," he said feeling courage through the pain. The weak boy he once was would surrender but he was stronger now. Now he could fight back

Cody thrust his foot into John's stomach forcing the beast to drop him. "I won't bow to you," he said running at the self-proclaimed father. He aimed his fist with the intension of smashing the monster's face. To his surprise, John effortlessly grabbed his hand out of the air.

Cody let himself be consumed by his powers, and felt the golden glow return to his fist. He would no longer let himself be consumed by fear. He let the anger and pain control him, and even as John was crushing his right fist, he concentrated all of his power into his left, and pounded it into the man's chest.

The attack did nothing, making Cody feel like he did nothing more than punch a sheet of metal. "Is that all? So weak, you don't deserver to be called a dimensional."

John slammed his palm into Cody's chest, lifting him a few inches. A second later, the younger twin's body was slammed into the ground. As he chocked, he saw drops of blood fly into the air. There was nothing he could do as John placed his foot on his chest, and began pressing down.

Cody tried to tell his body to move, but his limbs were unresponsive as the pressure on his chest continued to increase. Each breath he took caused him to struggle more and more. He could hear the sound like a stick snapping, and knew that it was his ribs from the ever-increasing pressure.

"Get away from my brother!"

Suddenly, Cody was free from John's attack, and another blond haired boy stood in front of the twin.

"Zack," Cody softly said through the pain.

"What are you doing here?" John angrily said, rising off the couch where he had been thrown.

"I won't let you hurt him ever again." Zack turned help his brother back to his feet. "This is your dream Cody, the only reason he is able to hurt you is because you're letting him."

"I tried to fight him through."

"But you still didn't believe it would work. Come on; let's get him out of here."

Cody nodded getting up. The pain he had experienced during the battle was no more. He would stand against the tyrant beside his best friend.

"So, you've learned how to control your dreams," John said backing away, "Don't worry, I will get what I want one way or another."

Cody aloud the illusion to pass and he opened his eyes back in the room where he was sleeping. He woke up to see his brother standing over him.

"You're safe now," Zack said as he crouched down, placing his hand on Cody's shoulder.

"How'd you get in my dream?"

"I could hear you screaming, but you wouldn't wake up no matter what I did. I wanted to help you then I kind of, just went into your dream. Probably the same way you did when you first contacted me."

"I'm scared. If he can attack me through my dreams, I wonder what else he can do."

"That just means we have to put an end to him soon. We can do it buddy."

* * *

Flashes of lightning continued to fill the night along with a steady downpour and rolls of thunder. As always, Anton would not allow himself to fall into a deep sleep. In his years alone, he knew he had to be ready at a seconds notice if he wanted to survive. Another bolt of lightning struck, illuminating the world outside the window. He saw several people standing on the roof of the house next door. Odds are it was some drug dealers or something, but the fact that they were this close bothered him.

Anton opened his window, harnessed his powers, and jumped across to the roof where they people were.

"What do we do?" one asked.

"Simple we kill him."

Anton pulled out his knife. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

One charged at him, and pulled his fist back, ready to punch Anton in the face. Before the attack could connect, the thief plunged his knife into the foe. He swept his enemies legs out from under him, and then tossed him off the roof.

Two more had come at him, ready to strike. Anton swung his knife down, slicing the one from the head down through his chest and stomach. The blood combined with rain creating a river of red on below them. Anton kicked the foe behind him in the face. He then tackled him to the ground and plunged his knife into his chest.

'Were they planning to attack them while they slept?' Anton thought as he walked away from his slain foes. He felt sorry for the twins and all they had been though. He was lucky enough to get away without much struggle, but they had been attacked continuously.

Anton jumped back into his room. He fell back asleep, but continued to subconsciously listen for anything suspicious. That battle had been easy, but he knew harder ones would be coming.

* * *

The night came and went, with each of the teens emerging from their battles unharmed. Kevin had fixed breakfast for the group and had come up with their plan of attack.

"John's base of operations is an abandoned airport just outside of LA. During the investigation with Kurt's death, I've assembled a team that's willing to fight to end this situation. We're not much, but I think we can take him down. I believe our best course of action would be to hit him as hard as we can, and make sure he can't escape."

"You're talking about a pure frontal assault?" Cody asked.

Kevin nodded.

"Wouldn't it be better to sneak in there and just take out John? If we do it right, we could kill him without risking as many casualties."

"I had considered that plan, but we'll have about 15 people, and that's too much to get around undetected. If we were to attempt something like that, we'd have to split up. That would create too much risk if one group was found. Besides, we don't know what he has planned for us as we attack. If there are traps, we can use our powers together to stand against him."

"I see what you mean," Cody said, "You think he's expecting us?"

The door opened and another person walked into the room. "Ah, Trey, I'm glad you could make it."

"What is the situation commander?" Trey asked. He was much younger than they would have guessed for one of Kevin's men. He looked like he was no older than 13.

"We are preparing for our attack to take John down."

"Sadly it seems he knows we are coming. He's assembled as large of an army as he could to defend the base."

"Did you spot any weaknesses we can exploit?" Kevin asked.

A smile came across Trey's face. "This time his army is technologically equipped, but we can use that as a weakness. I've uploaded a virus into their main systems that will cripple their army when I activate it."

"And if that happens as we strike," the commander said.

"It's game over for them," Zack said.

"Yea, but the plan isn't perfect," Trey explained running his hand through his spiky black hair, "John has also enlisted a number of technology experts so we won't have long to crush him. It will have to be one fluid strike, or it will be for nothing."

"How do you know all this?" Cody asked. The fact that a stranger seemed to have everything planned seemed too perfect.

Trey chuckled at the question. "John trusts me, more than he should."

"A double agent then."

"Exactly."

The younger twin wasn't convinced though. "Cody," Kevin said, "I've worked with Trey since just after I investigated your father's death. We can trust him." Maybe it had been so long since they've had so much support, but Cody didn't want to blindly trust people. His father's word had led him to believe Kevin, but he was still wary around Anton. It felt like there was more to Trey than he was telling. While he couldn't pass up the chance to stop John once and for all, he'd make sure he and Zack could get out of there if possible.

* * *

**A/N: Everything seems to be lining up for the final battle against John, but is Cody right about things being too perfect, or is he just overly paranoid? The climax to this is coming, and is something I've been excited about for weeks.**


	20. Intermission: Young

A/N:This chapter is a song fic that builds to the climax of the fic. The song is Young by Hollywood Undead. I've done something similar with several of my other fics, and really like the effect they give the story. Also, thanks to Kulmanari for giving me the idea for an intermission with his in In This Memory, and TwilightGD who wrote the first song fic I read**.**

**Intermission: Young**

As morning faded to afternoon, the storm of the night faded into yet another hot and humid summer day. Kevin's force continued to grow. Nine men and two women joined them as they prepared for the battle. Some of them were old friend of Kevin, some those who had come together during the investigations. One thing they shared though is that they were willing to lay down their lives to stop John if necessary.

Kyle brought the weapons Kevin had requested. Through connections with the military, the team had top grade weapons available ranging from portable rocket launchers, machine guns and sniper rifles, along with a collection of lighter hand guns and bullet proof armor. For some of them, this would be the first time they had wielded weapons with such power, but with such power they could quickly

Zack and Cody both took a sniper rifle and a hand gun, while Anton would wield a machine gun in the coming battle. The three also had handguns, bullet proof armor and their dependable knifes.

The teams loaded into the two vans that would take them to the coming battle. Both sides were going to throw everything they had at their opponents, ranging from the best technology available to the power of the supernatural. Hearts were racing and tension was high as they traveled in silence. Some were continuously going over the battle plans in their mind, some were thinking about how they might not come out alive, while others attempted to escape reality for a brief moment, but the song seemed to tell their story too perfectly.

_**We are young  
But we have heart  
Born in this world as it all falls apart  
We are strong  
But we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart**_

"_I've tried several times to find him, but it seems like his family moves so often, that it's impossible. Each day I make sure to remember how long it has been since our final goodbye. Before my mind drifts to sleep, I make another mark on a notepad. Six pages, two rows and three marks. 623 days."_** Chapter 1**

Zack Martin, one who always found the fun in life. For many years, his devious nature got him into trouble more times then he could count. When those asked why he did these things, he simply replied, "Why not?". Beneath his immaturity though, there was a caring and loving person. When it truly mattered, he would stand beside his brother no matter what the world through at them, and even more so with their most recent adventure.

_**I see the children in the rain  
Like the parade before the pain  
I see the love I see the hate  
I see this world that we can make**_

"_I saw my brother disappear in the distance. Something wasn't right about him though. He was wearing a white t-shirt but one of the sleeves had been torn off and there were tares all throughout it. Even from a distance, I could tell it had stains and dirt all over it. His black shorts weren't in any better shape and his shoes had holes in them." __**Chapter 3 Murder in the Park**_

_**I see the life  
I see the sky  
I'd give it all to see you fly**_

"_As Zack opened the door, he saw him. It was as if he was looking into mirror. For a moment, he was frozen in thought. A smile bigger than anything he could remember grew across his face._

"_Zack," Cody said softly, as his brother stood there frozen._

_Before he knew it, Zack's arms wrapped his brother in a tight embrace._

"_Cody, Cody, Cody, I can't believe it is really you."_

"_Yea, it's me," he said as his brothers tears began flowing down his arm. Zack didn't care about anyone who saw this strange sight. He had his twin back, his best friend back, his Cody back." ___

_**Yes we wave this flag of hatred  
But you're the ones who made it**_

" "_What happened?" Zack said as concern welled up within him._

"_To put it simply, they abused me." Cody lifted his shirt to show Zack a scar on his back. The dull red mark went from near his left shoulder all the way to the middle of his back._

"_That's horrible. Codes, I'm so sorry." What kind of pain was he in? I will KILL them for doing that!" __**Chapter 5: Cody's story**_

_**Watch the beauty of all our lives  
Passing right before my eyes  
I hear the hate in all your words  
All the words to make us hurt.**_

" "_You are one of us now! The sooner you learn that the better!"_

"_I can't even remember my old family?"_

"_Forget your past or I will force you," he says as his cane is slammed into my chest. As I fall to my knees, he bashes my head with the handle of it. Blood flows down my face and begins dripping onto the floor. Looking up my body is shaking and I know he sees the fear in my eyes. "Learn your place," he says, and walks away" _**Chapter 6: Zack's decision**

_**We get so sick oh so sick  
We never wanted all this  
Medication for the kids with no reason to live.**_

"_Night has fallen once again, but rest continues to elude us. I could be back at home, sitting on my bed playing video games now, but I left that behind me three weeks ago. Many times, I have questioned the choices I made then, but now as with each other time, I look to the person beside me and know it is worth it." _**Chapter 7: Without a Home**

_**So we march to the drums of the dammed as we come  
Watch it burn in the sun  
We are numb**_

Zack's life had changed in more ways than he thought possible. He had faced death several times, and ended the lives of others more often than he could've imagined. In the past two years he had faced more pain and heartache than he thought possible. In their brief time together he had begun to learn what Cody had experienced in his life alone. He would ignore the pain though; they were so close to their destination__

_**We are young  
but we have heart  
Born in this world as it all falls apart  
We are strong  
But we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart**_

"_Cody woke from his makeshift bed on the floor and gazed at the clock. It was still only six in the morning. He had enjoyed his first relaxing day he could remember. Whether it was playing video games with his brother, or a game of basketball, or even just talking, it brought back so many happy memories. However, he knew that carefree times like that were all in the past now." __**Chapter 6: Zack's decision**_

Cody Martin, one who would always put others first. For many years, he spent his life helping his brother though his strange adventures. While he protested against Zack's crazy ideas, he saw the fun in them. While things didn't always work out the way they wanted, he had fun. Through a brutal tragedy, he was forced to change. He had to learn to rely on no one but himself. The cruel world taught him how to abandon morals just to live. When it truly mattered, he would fight for those he loved, and at times even kill.__

_**As we walk among these shadows  
In the streets these fields of battle**_

"_I won't let you…" Cody ran to the man and unleashed all his anger and rage in a single punch to the man's face. Blood spurt out from the shattered bones as he fell to the ground. "…hurt my brother," he said to the corpse. "Let's get out of here before they wake up," he told Zack. _**Chapter 8: Innocence of Death**

_**Take it up we wear the mantle  
Raise your hands with burning candles**_

"_He didn't have these luxuries anymore. Being homeless for over a year had changed him in many ways. Cody had learned how to endure pain of many varieties. There wasn't another option so he learned to keep going through whatever was thrown at him. The cruel world didn't care if he was starving, lonely, exhausted or bleeding. If he needed something, he had to find it himself." _**Chapter 11: From Past to Present**

_**Hear us whisper in the dark  
In the rain you see the spark  
Feel the beating of our hearts  
Fleeting hope as we depart**_

"_Zack and Cody set out of their journey through the streets of the strange city. After all the time of traveling, it no longer seemed strange for them to be going aimlessly in a direction. This time though, they knew their destination was close. It was only a matter of finding it." _**Chapter 12: Into the Fire Part 1**

_**All together walk alone  
Against all we've ever known  
All we've ever really wanted  
Was a place to call our home**_

"_The twins walked through the debris and noticed the entire place was shrouded in darkness. Using the fading light of day, they journeyed into the unknown. When nearly all the light had faded, they found themselves in a large room, normally used for storage. Many footsteps echoed through the metal building, and the twins grabbed their knifes, knowing a fight was coming." __**Chapter 13: Into the Fire Part 2**_

_**But you take all we are  
The innocence of our hearts  
Made to kneel before the altar as you tear us apart**_

"_And you won't," Kyoya said as he raised a gun and pointed it at the two. Kurt heard the gun click, and shoved his son to the other side of the room. As Cody fell back, he could only watch in horror as he saw the bullet fly across the room, and into his dad's head. It only took an instant for the life to leave the tortured body" _**Chapter 14: Into the Fire Part 3**

_**So we march to the drums of the dammed as we come  
Watch it burn in the sun  
We are numb**_

"_Death surrounded him, taking all he cared about, but leaving him unharmed. It all seemed so wrong. He wished it would take him, instead of the innocents that he loved. Cody didn't care what it would cost, but he couldn't just let Zack die like that._

_As his despair filled his entire body, a familiar power began growing inside of his body. His emotions were turning into something more. Cody didn't know how to explain it, but that didn't matter. Right now, there was one thing that he wanted above all else, and his desire began manifesting itself as a golden glow emanated from his hand." _**Chapter 15: End and a New Beginning**

Through the events of his adventure, Cody knew he had no choice but to keep going. His hatred for John and his love for the innocent drove out his fear. He knew that more would die, but if he could save the victims with his life, he would do it. For Zack and his new friends, he would endure the physical and emotional pain to come.

_**We are young  
but we have heart  
Born in this world as it all falls apart  
We are strong  
But we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart**_

"_You mean one of those many foster families? Don't know, don't care," he said holding up his arms. "Anyway, I saw this rich looking guy. Suit and tie and all that crap. I figured him losing some money wouldn't hurt much so I did the same trick I did to you guys, stuck a knife to his back and told him to give me his money. I later learned my target was John." _**Chapter 18: Alliances**

Anton Vincel, the one rejected by society. Through the 17 years of his life, he was a wonderer. The many families he was a part of never lasted long. Soon he had decided it was better to be on his own instead of hoping one of those people would actually come through on their promise to love him. Soon through, he was desperate to accept the kindness of a stranger. He learned from his mistake soon enough though.

Now though, he would use the powers he had been given for something good, instead of just looking out for number one. He knew death could be close, but it was better to do something with it, then have it go to waste. John would suffer for what he had done; one way or another, Anton would make sure of that.

_**We will fight (we will fight)  
Or we will fall (we will fall)  
Till the angels save us all**_

"_Rolling out of the way to dodge his knife, pain filled my body from all those scrapes rubbing against the hard ground. I leapt up and he tried stabbing me again, but this time I kicked the knife right out of his hand. I ran up, elbowed him in the stomach, and then gave him a quick left hook across the cheek. Since he was using a knife against me, I saw no reason to fight fair so I kneed him as hard as I could in the balls. He was leaning over in pain, so with a forceful elbow to the back of the head, he was down" _**Chapter 3: Murder in the Park**

_**We will fight (we will fight)  
Or we will fall (we will fall)  
Till the angels save us all**_

_With only one shot left, the man set his sights on a less agile target. Cody saw the gun's angle shift and he looked behind him to his brother who had just knocked his foe to the ground. A smile crept across the gunman's face as the bullet left the weapon and flew through the air. Cody knew he couldn't stop the bullet, so instead, choose to move its target. He ran to Zack with as much speed as he could muster, and tackled him to the ground. _**Chapter 8: Innocence of Death**

_**We will fight (we will fight)  
Or we will fall (we will fall)  
Till the angels save us all**_

_Side by side, the brothers fended of the small army. The constantly focused on the attacking foes, and kept a look out for anything that got past their brothers' defense. As Zack shoved his knife into the heart of his attacker, Cody saw one who had escaped his brothers attention. Seconds before a knife was driven into Zack's body, Cody kicked the foe's side, slamming him into the wall. _**Chapter 13: Into the Fire Part 2**

_**We will fight (we will fight)  
Or we will fall (we will fall)  
Till the angels save us all**_

_Hidden behind his own flames, David didn't see the knife, until it pierced his stomach. He flinched in pain for a second, and the fire in front of him began fading. Before David could react, Zack leapt through the flames and slammed his right fist into the side of David's head. He stumbled back in pain for a second, and Zack followed up by thrusting his left fist into his enemies jaw. _**Chapter 14: Into the Fire Part 3**

_**We are young  
but we have heart  
Born in this world as it all falls apart  
We are strong  
But we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart**_

They had battled hard to get this far. Weaker men would have fled in terror, but they were willing to take the risk. They were the ones ignored and rejected, but they would be the ones to change the world. If they failed, people who didn't know they existed would suffer in ways they couldn't imagine. If they succeeded, then those same people who couldn't care less about them would continue living their lives. No, they weren't doing it to be heroes, but because they knew that no one else could.

_**We are young  
but we have heart  
Born in this world as it all falls apart  
We are strong  
But we don't belong  
Born in this world as it all falls apart**_

The team came upon the abandoned airport. They gathered their weapons and marched forward in silence. All their weapons were loaded, and the bullets would soon taste the flesh of the waiting enemies

_

**A/N: **As you can guess, some action is coming soon. I'm not sure exactly, but for now I'm thinking the invasion of John's base will take 5 chapters. I've been excited about this for a long time, so I'm looking forward to writing it, and I hope you will enjoy it.


	21. Chapter 21: Clash

_"We are the ones  
We get knocked down  
We get back up and stand above the crowd  
We are one"_

_One X, Three Days Grace_

Chapter 21: Clash

The two vans pulled into the parking lot of the seemingly abounded airport. The passengers quickly got out and gathered their weapons. There hearts were racing due to the coming danger. While each one was filled with fear, they knew they had no other choice

"The plan is simple," Kevin instructed his men, "We charge at them and smash through their defenses. Trey, is the virus set?"

"Yea, as soon as I trigger it, it will take about 2 minuets for it to activate. Then it will nearly incapacitate them."

"So then, we run in and kill John?"

"You got it Zack," Kevin replied nodding, "We will wait until they attack us before unleashing the virus, to maximize the effect."

"Understood!" the team of both young and old replied in unison.

* * *

"Sir, our enemies are about to strike."

"Are the defenses set?"

"Yes, John."

"Good, our spy is leading them right to our strongest defense. Go and make sure they don't make it out alive. I'll aid you from here."

"As you wish."

* * *

The sound of a thousand gunshots filled the air, forcing the team to dive for cover instantly. Zack and Cody leapt to the shelter of several crates. They heard the bullets pound against the various objects, but fortunately, they didn't hear anyone cry out in pain yet. With the chaos around them, it was only a matter of time until death started claiming its victims.

"Here they come," Kyle said as the doors opened, revealing an army nearly 50 strong.

"Trey now!" the commander ordered.

"The virus has been set."

"Everyone, take them down!" The twins took aim with their sniper rifles, placing the barrel slightly over the crates they had crouched behind. Once Cody had his target lined up, he pressed the trigger sending the bullet through the air at super sonic speeds. His target soon dropped his gun and fell to the ground clutching his leg. The force of the shot was more than the younger twin had anticipated, and he was thrown onto his back from the recoil. Zack locked onto his target and fired, hitting another target through the chest. He had braced his body better when he fired, but was still surprised by the force in his arms.

"You okay bro?"

"Yea," Cody said getting back up with Zack's help and preparing for another attack.

Inside the building, the defenses were already set. A number of soldiers stayed behind in the safty of the airport while they fired at the attackers.. The weapon operators saw where Kevin and several of his men were hiding, so they fired several rockets at them.

Kevin saw this coming and leapt into the line of fire. He held his palms out at the projectiles and it looked like they being smashed. The attack passed harmlessly over the commander's head.

They knew of Kevin's power and seeing the commander in their sights, nearly all of the gunman concentrated their fire on him. They foes were as predictable as Kevin expected and he raised both arms in front of him. While the attacks were on target, none could get to him, instead were deflected by an invisible shield.

The rest of the team took the opportunity to send a fury of bullets, and rockets into the small army. The cries of men screaming in pain filled the air along with the destruction of bullets flying through the air and rockets slamming against once stable structures. They blocked out as much of the chaos around them as they could and just concentrated on firing one round at a time.

Kevin's plan soon fell apart once the enemies saw it. He knew his powers to control the space around him couldn't hold long, but as he planned, his force had been able to weaken their opponents. He ducked behind the containers where his companions were blasting away at the enemies. Even for an experienced warrior like him, maintaining that strong of shield quickly drained him. The enemies wouldn't care that he was tired though, so he knew he had to keep fighting.

The sounds of metal screaming through the air and colliding against flesh and technology began to slow. The twins looked around and saw their enemies in a state of confusion. "Trey's plan worked," Cody said softly. The younger twin had been used to things going badly in so many other battles, it seemed like this time they might win easily.

"Destroy them while we have the chance!" Kevin ordered.

Anton unleashed the full fury of his machine gun and the stream of bullets struck down many of their confused foes. A number of the men charged at the airport, with bullets continuing to fill the air. The bulletproof armor protected them from many impacts, but right beside Kevin, the brave solider Robby was shot through the head.

The team cringed at the loss of their friend and comrade, but they knew that they couldn't allow the loss to slow them down. One by one, the enemies fell to the array of bullets and rockets. Zack felt an enemy attack strike his chest, but his bulletproof armor took the hit, so it did little more then throwing him to the ground and leaving him with a bruise.

The foes continued to decrease in number, but John wouldn't allow his army to be defeated that easily. Kyle dropped to his knees and grabbed his head. "No, you murderers," he said through a shaky voice, "I will kill you all!" Kevin's trusted companion swung his gun at Cody's head, nearly hitting the teen.

"What's going on?" Zack asked as his brother continued to dodge and block the attacks.

"The orb of memories," Kevin said softly, "John is using it to rewrite our memories so we fight each other."

"What can we do?" Anton asked, afraid he'd have to kill the first friends he had known in a long time.

Kevin held his hands together and began focusing on his energy and the space around him. "Don't hurt him Cody, I can heal him," the commander said.

"Shut up!" Kyle said pointing the gun at Kevin. "I don't want help from a heartless murderer!" Cody harnessed his speed and tackled the weapons expert to the ground, forcing the bullet into the concrete below.

"Get off me," he said, slamming the end of his gun into Cody's mouth. Kyle got up and pointed his gun at Cody. "You won't hurt me or my family ever again."

Zack, seeing the danger his brother was in, punched Kyle in the side of the head knocking him to the ground. He jumped on Kyle and held him there while Kevin finished. An invisible force field surrounded them, brining Kyle back to sanity and would keep the rest of them safe from the effects.

"My shield will protect us, but it isn't strong enough to hold if we go much further."

"What do we do then?" Zack asked.

"There's only one plan I can think of. Zack, Cody, and Anton will continue further undetected while the rest of us create as big of a problem out here as possible.

"That's suicide for you guys though," the younger twin protested.

"Maybe not, if you hurry and take them down. I don't plan on going down without a fight at least.

The three teens did as they were told, and ran to the side of the building, hoping to make an unseen entrance. As they left, they heard reinforcements begin pouring out. It sounded like someone was giving orders to the army. Zack, Cody, and Anton found a window that they could use for their entrance and Anton punched a hole in it. The three entered, but as they did, they saw a massive orange light from outside. While they were curious and fearful for their friends' safety, they continued on, knowing the enemy they would soon face.

* * *

**And now the battle has begun. What danger will await the heroes as they go after John? Stay tuned to find out.**


	22. Chapter 22: Goodbye My Friend

**Chap 22: Good-bye my friend**

_Deprivating, isolating, all that I feel,  
Leaving me with images I know are not real,  
Are those words of condemnation that I hear!  
(I think I'm losing my mind, I think I'm losing my)  
Perfect Insanity, Disturbed_

"You think they're okay out there?" Cody whispered to the others. There hearts were still racing after escaping the vicious battle outside. The dark fortress made them jump at the slightest noise, knowing any mistake could cost them everything

"I hope so bro, Kevin seemed to know what he was getting into back there."

"Yea, but did you see that light? I have a bad feeling about that," Anton said.

"If they are alive, we have end this to keep them safe, and if we not," Zack paused, not wanting to think about that possibility, "Then we won't have another chance at this, and we have no choice but to win."

Lights were flickering throughout the place. Trey's virus had apparently done more than just harm their weapons, but instead crippled the entire base. They heard several men up ahead.

"Let's take them out before they know we're here," the thief whispered.

It didn't feel right to Cody. It wasn't in self-defense this time, but just to get what he wanted. As he aimed his rifle, he felt like their lives were just an obstacle in the way of his desires, so they had to be ended. Was a human life just something that simple? He knew if they didn't get rid of the people now, they'd be detected and their plan would be ruined, but that didn't make up for what he felt in the moment of aiming his gun.

"Do we really have to kill them?" he asked.

"Is there a way to just knock them out?" his older brother asked, feeling the same apprehension.

"If we hesitate and miss, it's over for us," Anton said, "Sadly, we have no choice."

Ignoring their reservations, the three took aim and quickly fired several shots into the room. Soon all four of their targets were on the floor.

They continued traveling through the enemy base, with their guns loaded at all times. Seconds would make the difference between life and death, and they knew they couldn't die when they were so close to ending John's horrors. Rounding a corridor, they found several confused enemies trying to make sense of the chaos. With two blasts from Anton's gun, they were down.

"We need to find exactly where John is," Cody said

"Yea, all this wondering around is just wasting time," his brother said.

"How could you?" Anton said quietly.

"What's wrong dude?" Zack asked.

"All t-those innocent people." Anton fell to his knees and grabbed his head. "There all dead."

"Don't worry, we're almost there," Cody said placing his hand on the thief's shoulder.

"Get your hands off me!" he screamed, shoving Cody off him as he slowly rose to his feet. "First my parents, and then all these innocents, I will kill you for what you've done." The thief aimed his pistol at the younger twin.

Cody saw the danger, and harnessed his speed, allowing him to dodge the attack with less than a second to spare.

"What's going on?" Zack asked.

"It's just like back their where John brainwashed him. We have to take him down and get him back to Kevin."

"I won't let you," he said running at Cody, raising his gun in the air. Before the thief could strike, Zack came from behind him, and grabbed his arm, forcing the weapon from his hand. Anton countered, by slamming his foot into Zack's chest sending him back several feet.

Cody knew that if the battle continued for long, the odds of one of them being severely hurt was great, so he had to end it fast. He charged at his foe, hoping knock him out with his head of his gun. Seconds before he could strike, Anton shoved his knife into Cody's wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon. While he was distracted by the pain and blood loss, the thief delivered a powerful punch to the twin's face.

Cody was on the ground, narrowly dodging Anton's fists aimed for his face.

Zack hated to do it, but knew Cody's life was in danger, so while his friend was distracted, he aimed his rifle at him. "I'm sorry," he softly said before releasing the bullet. Anton leapt at Cody again before the attack could strike, and the bullet collided harmlessly against wall.

The younger twin rolled along the ground to dodge another kick aimed for his chest. As he got up, he swung his legs, trying to kick his foe in the sky, but Anton grabbed his ankle. Zack plunged his knife into Anton's side, forcing him to drop Cody before any further harm could befall him.

The thief jumped back and glared at the two in hatred. He knew the power his foes possessed, but after the horrors he remembered them committing, he would end their existence, even if it cost him his own life. The pain in his side threatened to crippled him, but he would allow himself rest after they were dead.

Anton ran at Zack, and the two's knifes connected in the air. While they were locked, Cody ran at him from the side, forcing him to jump back again.

Blood was still running down from the younger twin's wrist, and he knew it could kill him, but he didn't want to take time to heal it when that could lead to the death of his brother or his friend. Cody ran at the foe, with his piston in his hand, once again hoping he could knock him out without serious injury. As he was about to strike, Anton rammed his knee into Cody's stomach. The thief then bashed Cody's chin with his elbow sending the younger twin to the ground. Cody tasted blood in his mouth, and was starting to feel his hand go numb.

Seeing his brother in so much pain made Zack instinctively charge at his brother's assailant. Before Zack's fist could connect, it was caught, and in one swift moment, Anton was behind him and was bending Zack's arm behind his back.

The excruciating pain forced Zack to his knees and he let loose a blood-curling scream. Anton began bending his arm back further, and the twin could feel his bones begin to snap. Tears began cascading the twin's cheek to Anton's pleasure. He would make his foe experience as much pain as possible before finally giving them the release of death. Death was too good for those who he remembered causing so much harm, but sadly it was the only way to stop people like that.

Cody was horrified seeing that happen to his best friend, and grabbed his knife. Without a second thought, he thrusted his weapon at his foe with all the force he could harness. Before Anton could react, the blade went through his chest and exited the other end. Blood erupted from the wounds of having his body torn apart. Blood rapidly poured out the wounds. His grip on Zack faded, and his body quickly ceased functioning. He was no longer in pain when his body fell to the ground.

Cody couldn't believe what he had just done.

He killed Anton.

In the short time they had known each other, they had formed a strong friendship. Now though, Anton was dead. It wasn't John doing it this time, but instead, Cody. The younger twin fell to his knees and began crying.

Zack looked down at the corpse that a moment ago was torturing him. The line between life and death was so fragile. One second he was alive and breathing, and the next he was gone. It wasn't just a face in the crowd either, but his friend. Zack had been close to death many times before, but never before had it been this close to him. Never before had it been someone he cared about. One of his best friends, was now gone.

Looking up, Zack saw his brother on the ground surrounded by an ocean of tears. The innocent Cody hated killing, but he just killed his friend. He walked across the room and put his arms around his brother. For a moment, they just stayed there, letting their tears fall. They didn't have anyone to impress, or any reason to hide their feelings. They grieved the loss of their dear friend. It didn't matter that they were still in danger, they would face that soon, but at that moment, they needed to grieve.

"I-I killed him," Cody finally said breaking the silence.

"No," Zack said strongly while fighting through tears. "It was John who killed him. It's been John who's been responsible for all these deaths."

"But with these hands," Cody said looking down at his hands which were shaking violently, "I threw the knife."

"Don't blame yourself bro."

"Yea, but Anton wanted to stop John, and now he won't have a chance."

"Yea, that just means we have even more reason to kill him."

"I guess you're right," Cody said getting back on his feet, "For all those John had killed and for all those who have fought to stop him, we have to win."

"That monster is going down," Zack said standing beside his brother.

'I can't lose control like that again,' Cody thought, 'my rage has already cost me one life, and I can't afford to make another mistake again. If I make a mistake while battling John… I can't imagine it.'

The twins continued down the hallway ready to end this war with John once and for all.

**A/N: I'm guessing that chapter was a bit of a surprise. Don't worry, answers will come eventually.**


	23. Chapter 23: No Retreat, No Surrender

**A/N: Here it is, the battle you've all been waiting for. I highly recommend listening to the song "You're going down" while reading this**. **I did while writing/revising it. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 23: No Retreat, No Surrender  
**

_"It's been a long time coming  
And the table's turned around  
Cause one of us is goin'  
One of us is goin' down  
I'm not runnin'  
It's a little different now  
Cause one of us is goin'  
One of us is going down!"  
You're going down, Sick Puppies_

The two remaining teens left the slain body of their friend behind them as they continued searching for John. They would make him pay for forcing an innocent to fight and die like that. How many innocent victims had John manipulated like that? Too many.

They entered what once was a large terminal. The flickering lights cast a dim light on the hard metal floors and reinforced walls. The room was completely empty, save for one chair at the opposite end of the room. "I see you've finally made it," the person in the chair said. "It's been a while, hasn't it Cody?"

"You monster!" Cody blurted out.

"Now, now, is that anyway to talk to your father?"

"I'll kill you!" Zack said with pure hatred in his voice.

"Four little dimensionals, thinking they were so strong," John sang with a sadistic grin as he got up from his chair, "One underestimated me and now he's gone."

"Shut up!" Cody yelled.

"Three little dimensionals, until one lost his mind. Then he died, so sad, bye-bye. And now there are two. I wonder how these will die."

Zack clenched his fists wanting to destroy the person who stood across from them. "Calm down," Cody said felling the same emotions. "He's just provoking us so we'll make a mistake."

"Yea, he's doing a good job of it too."

"What's a matter Cody? Scared?"

Zack couldn't take any more of this. He didn't care what happened, he would destroy John here and now.

The older twin bolted across the room, with Cody right behind him. Zack aimed his fist at the fiend's face, only to have it grabbed out of the air. John lifted him off the ground and threw him behind him, seconds before Cody attacked. The younger twin aimed a foot at the man's mouth, but John sidestepped to dodge it.

John was harnessing the same power the twins had used all along, so they no longer had that advantage. His speed was so great that Cody didn't even see the kick coming until his foot was embedded into the teen's stomach.

Ignoring the pain, Cody jumped back to put some distance between him and his foe. Zack had recovered from being thrown and charged at John with knife in hand. Their foe jumped back as the twin slashed down at him.

"You can't beat me that easily," he said as a faint golden light began emanating from him. Cody had only seen that light once before, when he killed Kyoya after seeing his father murdered. Unlike when he wielded the power, this was much more controlled and steady. Cody had stumbled upon it by accident, but John wielded it as if it was second nature. "There's no way for you to win, just surrender and I might let you live."

"We'll take you down together," Zack said. Cody knew he was right. The only way they had any chance of beating him was together.

In unison, the two charged at their foe. As Zack aimed a fist at their foe's mouth, it was deflected away, but Cody kicked the feet out from under John, knocking him to the ground. John rolled back as Zack tried plunging a knife into his chest.

"That's quite enough out of you two," John said as the light began building in his hand. "You can't beat one who can harness the energy of time itself," he said pounding his fist into the ground.

The twins could feel the energy coming as if it was bending the air itself. A light blue dome began bursting form where John slammed his fist into the ground. As it began spreading, they could see John through it, but it was distorted as if they were looking through water. The dome accelerated and collided into them, sending them both into the wall.

"That hurt," Zack said struggling back to his feet.

"Yea, we have to think of a way to beat him," his brother said slowly raising beside him, "But he's stronger, faster, and has developed his powers further."

"True, but there is one thing we have that he doesn't."

"What?"

"Each other." As corny as that was, Cody knew it was true. No matter how strong their opponent was, they would stand beside each other whatever was thrown at them.

"You're right, now let's take him down."

Once again, the twins ran at John. This time Cody led the charged and aimed his knife at his stomach. Zack ran to behind their foe and they prepared to take him down together.

Cody lunged his blade at John's heart, but the foe grabbed Cody's wrist, stopping the attack. While he was distracted, Zack leapt into the air and aimed his foot for John's head. His foe turned though, and blocked the kick with his other arm. Zack spun through the air and landed on all fours at John's feet, where he thrust his foot at the arm holding Cody, freeing him with the impact.

Cody then thrust his blade at John again, who tried jumping back, but the knife still grazed his arm. John looked down to his wound and to the twins' surprise though, there was very little blood. Zack wouldn't let their foes supposed invincibility stop him though, and he once again ran at John. However, before the older twin could even see his enemy's hand move, it was around his neck, lifting him off the ground.

His brother looked on horrified and ran to save him, but a blue energy shield surrounded Zack and John. The twin struggled to break free, but John tightened the grip on the teen's neck. Cody couldn't stand to see his brother slowly die by being deprives as air. He could see the pain Zack was facing, but knew he couldn't attack recklessly and end up dead too. He had to think of a logical solution.

"Cody, help," Zack said in little more than a whisper.

Screw logic, Cody had to strike now. Nothing mattered now but saving his brother. He could feel the hatred coming to the surface and it was taking over. He let his desires carry the power through every inch of his being. It finally occurred to him, it was his desire that unlocked this power, and right now, his desire was for Zack to be safe and for John to pay with his life.

The faint golden light began forming in Cody's hand once again. Harnessing his power, he burst through the shield and he sprinted toward his target. Pulling his first back, he accelerated his body as much as could. John didn't have time to react as Cody's fist blew across his face, sending him to the ground and freeing his brother. As John got up, he felt the blood pouring out of his mouth.

"Die you bastard!" Cody said charging at John again. He thrust his knife into the ground, and he saw golden sparks erupt from the impact. As John jumped back, Cody continued to unleash a fury of kicks faster than he had ever done before.

John saw the twin's speed, and continued blocking with his arms, but he could feel the bruises forming. He would have to go all out in order to win. "So this is the true power of Cody Martin. It's too bad a dimensional with such great potential will die here."

Cody was tired of this just being a game for John. He had hurt so many innocents, and nearly killed Zack. What kind of sick man could do that without any emotion? It didn't matter now though, since he would soon be dead if Cody had anything to do about it.

The twin ran at John again, with Cody concentrating his power in his hand. His golden fist was about to connect with his foe, but he raised palm to block it. Cody sent several more punches, with John blocking or dodging most of them. Eventually though, Cody broke through his defenses with a punch to the stomach, but John quickly countered with a knee to Cody's chin. He jumped into the air and roundhouse kicked Cody in the chest, with the impact of the attack sent the twin flying several feet through the air. Cody stayed their on his back for a couple seconds before rising again. He wiped the blood of his face and once again set his sights on John.

Zack started running to help his brother when but a bright orange light came from the door and separated the two. Zack stopped in his tracks when he noticed the light was fire. The older twin turned to the entrance of the room and saw one he thought he killed standing before him. "Not bad Zachary, but with me here now, you have no hopes of winning."

"David."

* * *

**A/N: Just when it looked like the twins might have the advantage, an old enemy reappears. I might love my action, but I still love my plot twists/cliffhangers. You guys are awesome for reading this, and even more awesome if you review. See you soon... **


	24. Chapter 24: Sacrifice of Love

_"You only get just one time around,  
You only get one shot at this,  
One chance,  
To find out,  
The one thing that you don't wanna miss,  
One day when its all said and done  
I hope you see that it was enough,  
This one ride,  
One try,  
One life,  
To love."  
One Life to Love, 33 Miles _

**Chapter 24: Sacrifice of Love**

"How are you still alive?" Zack asked the man walking into the room.

"I have to admit, I underestimated you the last time we met. Even after being weakened after several battles, I never thought I could lose to a kid like that. I must thank you for showing me that arrogance can lead to disaster." David gathered a flame in his hand and then turned to John. "Trey's plan worked perfectly, the army has been wiped out."

That meant that they were all that was left. So many brave men had fallen, and the twins had to make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vein. "I'll make sure you die this time," the older twin said charging at his foe.

"We'll see about that." David lifted his palm toward Zack and sent a powerful stream of fire at him, but the twin quickly jumped to the side. He continued running at him and collided with David at full speed, slamming his knee into his foe's stomach. Zack jumped and pounded his foot into David's chest, sending him colliding with the wall.

* * *

"Can you beat me alone, my son?"

"You're going down!" Cody had never felt this powerful before. He felt himself drawn into the great power all around him. It seemed perfectly natural as the destructive energy flowed through his body.

The twin charged at his hatred enemy with the golden glow encompassing his body. He aimed his foot for John's chest, but he blocked it with his arm. John countered by slamming his fist into the ground, creating another shockwave of blue energy. Cody back flipped to get out of range, and once the attack had dissipated, he once again charged at his enemy.

The twin began gathering his power in his hands and he saw them glow a faint blue color. Instinctively he knew the power he possessed, and that it could destroy the man standing across the room.

He sent a blast of the energy at John who countered with a similar blue pulse. The two attacks collided, canceling each other out in an array of sparks. "So, you've managed to harness the energy of time itself, Impressive," he said chuckling.

"Do you think this is funny?"

"Yea, I guess that this being the end of your life isn't really a comical time to you."

* * *

David rose from the wall, bringing forth several spheres of fire all around him. Zack remembered how dangerous this foe was, and what it would take to defeat him. Last time he had barley escaped with his life. The older twin backed up, knowing he'd have to be ready for the attack. If it were true that David wasn't at full power last time, he'd need everything he had to win. Even though he had grown stronger in the past couple weeks, this wouldn't be an easy battle.

Each of the small flames around David launched a stream of fire at Zack. He jumped to the side to dodge them, but as he looked behind him, he saw they were pursuing. Zack ran at David, hoping to take him down before the inferno could consume him. The elemental saw the attack coming though, and brought forth a shield of fire around him. Zack knew he couldn't risk going through the fire like that, but he could still attack from range.

Zack pulled out his knife and launched it into the inferno. As the knife pierced the fire, the blaze dissipated, but the knife was harmlessly implanted into the wall. "What the heck?" Zack said glancing around for any sign of his foe. He felt heat from behind him, and as he turned, he saw himself quickly encased in a cage of fire.

"There's no way for you to escape."

Zack couldn't see anything but fire all around him and it continued to close in on him. The temperature continued to rise, and he knew it would soon kill him. He only saw one option, to run through the fire. He knew it might kill him, but doing nothing would be certain death. "Well, here goes nothing," he said preparing for the coming pain.

Before, he could leap through the blaze though, the inferno faded. He turned to where he thought David was, and saw Cody's foot in his face. His brother quickly ran back to fighting John, giving Zack the chance he needed to finish David.

* * *

John leapt into the air gathering the temporal energy in his hands. He knew if the attacks continued like this, there could be dire consequences. The ability to control time was a dangerous force, especially for those who didn't know what they were doing. Even he would admit, his control of this power was limited and one mistake could kill him. He had seen what a true master of time could do, but if there was one thing John had mastered, it was harnessing the destructive energy of time.

Cody saw bright glow surrounding John's hands, and could feel the space around him begin to shake. He could see John's power was greater than anything he had seen before, but he wouldn't let himself falter at a time like this. John jumped into the air and sent a massive lance of bright light at Cody. As the attack came closer, he knew there was no way to dodge it, and if he didn't do something, it would destroy him.

He felt something vibrating in his pocket, and grabbed the object, seeing it was the orb of future. Cody felt his power grow to new levels. As if he had done it a million times, he brought forth a massive shield of blue light, which blocked John's attack in an explosion of many colors.

When John landed, he was amazed that someone so young could block his most powerful attack. It didn't make any sense how he could just summon that much power. "You can't stop me," Cody said in a surprisingly calm voice. "With this power, you can't stop me." John realized that Cody had harnessed the power of the orb of future to increase his strength, but he knew it would soon overwhelm him. However, until that happened, John knew he was outmatched.

"I admit young Cody, your current power is more than I can defeat. However, you've made one mistake that will kill you."

"Confident words for a dead man walking."

John harnessed the temporal energy all around him and prepared for one last attack. In no other battle had he been forced unleash this power twice. He held out his hand, and Cody prepared to stop the coming blast.

As Cody began to charge at John, he noticed the attack wasn't aimed at him. John's palm was pointing across the room at the other twin. Even if he could take John down, that wouldn't protect Zack from the attack. "Zack, look out!" he called, but he knew the attack was moving too fast to dodge. He knew there was only one way to stop the attack.

Cody ran across the room as fast as he could, blocking the attack with his own body. He quickly fell to the ground screaming out in pain. It felt like fire was erupting all throughout his body, and it prevented him for harnessing his power to defend himself.

John was pleased with the results and slowly walked over to him. "You should be honored to have pushed me this far. However, it ends now." John began building power in his hand for one last attack.

* * *

Zack ran to grab his knife and charge at David again. He didn't want to need rescuing again. He knew all along he had been the weaker twin, needing saving on a regular basis. No more though, this time he would be strong enough to defend himself.

David sent a stream of fire along the ground, but Zack avoided it by jumping into the air. As he came down, he brought his fist across David's face. At such close range, David could strike before Zack could react, and launched a blaze from his fist, but the twin agilely dodged it, and then kicked his foe in the chest. He could tell he had grown more powerful since their last fight. Before, he hadn't been able to match David's speed, but now he was clearly faster.

"Zack, look out!" The older twin turned at the noise, and heard his brother let loose a blood-curling scream. He couldn't believe it when he saw Cody on the ground and covered with blood. John was slowly walking toward him, with a golden fist that made his intentions clear.

Zack knew he had to do something if he was going to get to Cody before it was too late. He ran toward his best friend, hoping to get there before John's attack could connect to end Cody's life.

Everything slowed for the twins in the seconds before impact. Cody knew he was powerless to resist with his body feeling as if it was on fire. Zack pushed his body as hard as he could, but it felt like each step took him longer and longer. John smiled evilly as he brought his fist down

* * *

_"Yea, if she has a boyfriend she'll be so busy being all girly with her, she'll leave us alone," Zack said_

_"And she'll be happy."_

_"And we'll be able to play that video game!"_

_"And she'll be happy"_

_"And we won't have to make our beds."_

_"And she'll be happy"_

_"You're so selfish, can't you think of anything besides mom's happiness?"_

_

* * *

_

The attack connected with Cody's chest.

* * *

_"I've gotta win this science award. Then I can get into M.I.T. and invent a nanobot that eats oil spills and be able to retire comfortably while taking care of my aging mother and paying my brother's bail money. " _

"_Zack's in jail?"_

"_Not yet"_

_

* * *

_

Zack was too late.

* * *

_"I have a plan."_

_"Don't listen to him. That's what he always says right before we get grounded."_

_"No, this plan is sure-fire."_

_"Correction. That's what he always says right before we get grounded"_

* * *

The older twin fell to his knees, beside his brother, a second after life left his body.

Everything he had fought for was pointless now. "Now, die!" David said sending a stream of fire at Zack. Normally, the twin would dodge it, but what did it matter. Everyone was dead now. They had lost.

A figure appeared in front of Zack, and the fire disappeared.

"Zack, stay strong, it's not over yet."

**A/N: With Cody dead, it seems all hope is lost, but who is this stranger that saved Zack? Will his appearance be enough to turn the tide of the battle? Also, for anyone who read this before, sorry about the formatting with the scenes. I just noticed it.**


	25. Chapter 25: Blood Runs Red

**A/N: Warning, this chapter is more graphic than most of my battles.**

"_It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp__  
There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart__  
No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream  
Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster"_

_Monster, Skillet_

**Chapter 25: Blood Runs Red**

It's all over now. Cody is dead, what reason do I have to continue fighting? All along, he had been stronger than me, protecting me, but now he's dead. That sick monster is standing over me. I want so badly to make him pay, but if not even Cody could defeat him, what hope do I have?

"Now die!" I hear David say and I feel the heat building behind me. Normally I'd dodge and strike him again, but what would it matter? I might as well just let this flame end it.

Instead of felling the blazing inferno consume my body, there isn't any heat. Is this what it's like to die, to experience nothing?

"Zack, stay strong, it's not over yet."

Someone called my name, but I can't place the voice. He doesn't know what I've been though, so how can he tell me to stand strong?

"Trey, what do you think you're doing?"

"It's quite simple." Trey? What is that traitor doing here? "I'm here to tell you that your life is about to end."

"You really are a cunning little whelp aren't you? Even with your mastery of time, you should know you can't match my raw power."

"That might be true," Trey says grabbing onto my hand, helping me back to my feet, "but I know one strong enough to defeat you." He places his hand on my shoulder, but I can't do this. I've seen the destructive power John possesses, and I'm just a weak failure.

"I'm not that strong," I say shaking my head. None of this is making any sense. Cody was suspicious of Trey when we first met him, and then David confirmed our fears. I should be trying to kill him for leading our friends to their death's but why did he save me? I just don't know!

"Maybe not now, but I can give you the power you need." He moves his hands in some sort of strange pattern and I can sense power growing inside of me.

Whoa. What is this? This new strength is coming from somewhere but I can't tell where. It's overwhelming me, but this is what I'll need. "Zack, don't let Cody's life end in vain. He wanted nothing more than to stop what John is doing. Win this battle for him."

Trey's right. Right now, it doesn't matter who Trey is or what he has done. Now, I have the power to defeat John and I will use it. He will die!

I finally rise back to my feet with the tears still in my eyes. This isn't the time for fear to grip me; there's no reason for it. I have to win; there is no other choice. "For all the people you have hurt," I say pointing my knife at him, "it is time for you to receive justice." This is the most powerful enemy I have ever faced, and this time, I'm alone. The odds aren't looking good for him

"Fine, I'll just kill you like your brother. David, take care of that despicable traitor."

David sets his sights on Trey as a series of fireballs head in his directions. I'd be worried about my savior, but right there is only one person I care about, the sick monster in front of me.

I charge at him with the new power filling my body. He just stands there arrogantly. Yea, maybe he is stronger that me, but I won't let that stop me. I leap into the air at great speeds and I feel energy through my body. It's like how I could accelerate my body before, but this time, it's something far greater. The power feels so good, as if I'm eating ice cream for the first time.

Using the power of gravity, I come back toward the ground where John is standing. I feel myself accelerating my body to degrees I didn't think possible. It doesn't matter what powers he has, he can't stop my fury.

My fist slams into his face, and the sounds of his bones shattering fill the air. The monster rolls along the floor, but unfortunately got back to his feet before I could implant my shoe in his chest. The air around me seems to vibrate and I see a blue energy in John's hand. I'll never forget the look of the attack that killed Cody, and I'll make sure it won't do the same to me

As Johns slams his fist into the ground letting lose a powerful shockwave, I do a front flip over the sphere trying to dodge the attack, but there is no escape. If I can't evade it, I might as well stop it. I gather my energy into my hand and a golden glow surrounds it.

Sweet.

I slice my arm across his attack, and it fades allowing me to get closer to him. As I land beside him, I knock his legs out from under him. He falls backwards, but not for long as I ram my elbow into his back. The impact knocks the wind out of him and I throw his body to the side.

He's on his knees and he glares at me. I can tell he's surprised at my power, but this is only the beginning of it. After a few seconds, he gets up and charges at me. Using my speed, I try to ram my fist into his stomach, but he grabs my arm, and blasts me with some of that energy.

I fall to my knees from the attack. Bringing my hand to the wound in my side, I can see blood pouring out. I was careless. As I get up, he slams his fist into the ground again, but this time I can't stop the attack and it throws me into the wall.

Pain is building in my back and arms, but I can't let that slow me down. No matter what it takes, I will win. I pull my fist back and charge at him again. It doesn't matter how many times he strikes me down, I will make sure he pays for everything he did. I see a look of shock on his face as I aim my fist or him once again.

He manages to jump back to dodge my fist and the sword in my hand. I adjust my grip on the blade as I swing it at him again. He gathers that blue energy in his hand again, this time grabbing my sword out of there air.

Wait a second…

There wasn't a sword in my hand a moment ago! Even in this faint light, the steel shines as I pull it back. The hilt looks to be made of silver with golden decorations on it. This is strange, but I won't complain about a new weapon.

John jumps back and stands there as shocked as I am. Maybe him being off guard can give me the chance I need. I'll figure out where this weapon came from after I run it through him.

I thrust my sword at him but he dodges out of the way, and comes at me, punching me in my chest. Even though I try to swing my blade through him, he dodges to the side before I can get him.

We pause for a second trying to identify each other's next move. I notice myself breathing heavily. I've spent this battle using this new power to try to kill him, but now I see that it's taking a toll on my own body. That doesn't matter now; if I die, that's all right, as long as he goes down too.

I shove my sword into the ground, instinctively calling upon the destructive energy of time. He can't react in before my attack sends him flying onto his back. Now is my chance to end it.

With all the speed I can harness I run over to him and pound the heel of my foot into his chest, knocking the breath out of him. "You're not escaping this time," I say slicing my sword across his knee. The metal moves so easily against the flesh and bone as the bottom half of his leg comes unattached. It feels like a knife going across a warm bisect.

John's scream would normally make me cringe but not now. Instead, it brings joy to me. Oh yes, he is going to pay for what he has done. I only hope he will stay alive long enough to experience it all. I tighten the grip on my sword once again. He tries to escape, but between the pain from my last slash and my foot against his chest, he isn't going anywhere. I contemplate my next strike. There is one spot where no man wants to be attacked. I wonder how badly it will hurt having a sword thrust through it. He's about to find out.

He lets loose another blood-curling scream as the crimson covered blade comes back up. Holding the blade in the air, his blood gently drips on the floor. "Try not to die of blood loss too soon. I want you to experience as much pain as possible before dieing." I can see John struggling to escape my foot, but it continues to deprive him of breath. I'm not completely suffocating him, at least not yet, just making sure he can't get up the energy to get away.

I pull my knife out of my pocket and plunge it into his wrist, attaching it to the ground. His blood squirts out, sending small drops onto my arm. With my foot and knife keeping him on the ground, there is no way he can get away. Grasping the sword again, I wonder what the best way to inflect more pain is. For everything he has done, a normal death is too good for him, so I'll make it as painful as possible.

It's fitting that someone who has done so much ends in such a way. It's been less than a minuet that I've been holding him here, and a puddle of blood now surrounds us, his blood. I'd say it represents the innocents he has sentenced to death quite well. Cody once told me how much blood was in a human body, and I'd say a better part of his is on the ground. He's growing weaker. His hand is no longer trying to force my foot off his chest.

I take a glance into his eyes and see the pain. I could continue to slowly kill him while he bleeds to death, but as much as I want to deny it, he is still a person. Those eyes call out for salvation from this torture. I wonder, how many of his victims called out for the same thing? I'm sure none of them received any mercy, and neither will he.

My sword glows red from the sun reflecting off the blood on it. Just like the blood on our knifes from all those other battles. Here it finally ends. "How does it feel to die just like all those you killed?"

After coughing up blood, he finally answers, "I should've gone after you instead of Cody. You're just like me."

"I'm nothing like you." How could he even think something like that?

"Oh, abandoning morals to get revenge. Inflicting as much pain as possible as you slowly kill your foe. I admire you Zachary."

No, there is no way we are anything alike. I'm fighting for the innocent, to protect those from people like John. He won't hurt anyone ever again.

"Hatred drives us Zack," he says again.

I'm tired of him trying to say we are alike. Looking down at him, I see him fighting through the pain, trying to hang on. It reminds me seeing Cody after he was shot. He was continually cringing in pain, but tried to hide it.

No, there's no way we're anything alike. He killed all those for his own sick desires, and I'm doing this to John because he deserves to suffer. He has to pay for what he's done. I will have vengeance.

"You may say your desires are noble, but look at the results."

"Shut up!"

My sword came down slicing through the bone of his shoulder. It cleaves through the bone and continues tearing flesh and I pull it up just before it reaches his organs. No matter how much he tried resisting it, he cries out in pain once more.

I've heard screams like that before. During the battles I had been in before, many times I heard it before my foe died. Those John forced to fight soon faded into nothing after they let loose that scream. So many innocents…

And yet, guilty and innocent both scream when they are hurt. They both bleed when they are cut. Maybe, they aren't so different

No.

John is pure evil. He deserves this. They did not.

"When given the proper motivation, you are a monster, just like me."

He's taunting me. Death is too good for him, but it's the only thing that can truly stop him. With one more thrust of my sword, the metal goes through his chest, piercing his heart. After a couple more seconds of him screaming in pain, the life fades from his face. It's about time

The battle is over and I begin walking away. Trey stands there as David also flees the battle. It's over; we've won.

Soon though, the room begins shaking violently.

**A/N: That battle did not go the way I originally planned. I knew that Zack would kill John, but I didn't think it would be that gruesome. **

**I'm sure you have a number of questions after that, one being what happened between Trey and David? I had originally planned to show that battle simultaneously but writing in first person makes that hard, so instead I'm uploading as chapter five in my lost chapters.**

**Next time: Even with John's death, the story isn't over yet. Chapter 26: "Rise of the Black Phoenix" will shed light on a number of the mysterious. **


	26. Chapter 26: A New Hope

_"Now that it's over  
I just wanna hold her  
I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking  
back at me  
Now that it's over  
I just wanna hold her  
I've gotta live with the choices i made  
And I can't live with myself today"_

_Lucy, Skillet_

**Chapter 26: A new hope**

Zack looked toward the multiple bodies on the ground. It was finally over. He had won, but gazing toward the youngest victim of the battle, he knew it wasn't without a terrible cost. Trey was breathing hard, but had defeated David, forcing him to flee. With the rush of the battle fading, fatigue hit Zack, forcing him to collapse to the ground.

Trey walked over to the twin and tried helping him up, but he had been consumed by the desire for sleep. "First time unleashing power like that, I can't say I'm surprised." Zack needed rest, but this was not the place for it.

Trey looked across the room to the mangled body on the ground. Walking over the corpse, he felt a sense of contentment that he suffered such a painful end. While he would have liked to have done that himself, he knew John had the advantage against him, and Zack had the right to revenge. He bent down and reached into the dead man's pocket, pulling out the orb of memories. Trey concentrated on the small sphere and saw that Cody possessed the other three. With him in possession of all four, the seal of reality could be released

"Zack, wake up," he said gently jabbing his foot into his side. There wasn't even a mumble in response. "I guess I'm getting you out of here myself then." He lifted Zack onto his back and walked out of the battlefield.

As Trey exited the building, the smell of death filled the air. Bullets covered the ground and impacts from rockets littered the landscape. The scarred landscape made it seem like the battle was still raging. He was glad he was able to save most of his team. Even with the dimensionals' power, they were still horrible outnumbered. Several bullets pierced Kevin's armor, but he would live, thanks to Trey's power.

There were still two vans left by the fleeing warriors. One of them had been badly damaged by the weapons of war, but the other was mostly unharmed. Trey gently laid Zack in the back seat, before hotwiring the car and pulling away. With John defeated, Trey wouldn't have to worry so much about his plans being discovered.

As the rounded the last corner before Kevin's house, Trey could hear mumbling from the back seat. "Wake up Zack."

"Five more minuets Cody." As soon as he said that last word, he knew that Cody wasn't the one talking to him. He'd never hear that voice again.

Looking into the mirror, Trey saw the tears building in Zack's eyes. During the battle, he had been able to turn that despair into rage to fight, but now the truth had begun sinking in. "Zack, I know it's hard."

"Cody is gone," he quietly said. "He's not coming back."

Trey tried thinking of the words to comfort Zack, but he none could come to mind for a situation like this. Losing a comrade like that was hard, but Trey couldn't imagine the pain of the comrade being someone as close as two twins were. He looked into the mirror, preparing to say something, but noticed Zack had once again succumbed to the allure of sleep. "Get some rest Zack, you'll need it."

Once they arrived at the house, they noticed the number of vehicles surrounding the empty house. Trey pulled into the front yard and forced the front door of the house open. He went back to the car and once again carried an unconscious Zack. He laid the twin on the nearest bed and began examining his wounds.

Zack was bleeding in several places, but nothing serious. Trey concentrated on the wounds and soon skin formed over the exposed flesh. He would still be in some pain when he woke again, but his body could simply repair the remaining damage. "Get well soon," Trey said before turning the light off and closing to door behind him. With the sun falling, he figured it was time for him to rest too. If things went as he planned, they'd have a busy day ahead of them.

* * *

Zack's eyes flickered as his body hovered in the boundary between sleep and consciousness. His surroundings seemed unfamiliar. He looked to the clock beside him and saw that it read 2:47. Once he sat up, he saw the darkness coming into the room, telling him it was night. The day's events filled his mind, as he tried to figure out where he was. He remembered the gunfire that took place outside the airport, their flight into the enemy's base, the battle against Anton, fighting John, Cody's death, Trey coming out of nowhere to save him. The death's stood out the most for him. While they seemed to have won, losing his two best friends made any joy defeating John should bring stay away.

The older twin got up from the bed, but as he rose, his head began spinning. He quickly sat back down. The pain reminded him of how hard he pushed his body during the fight. What seemed to be only natural then now seemed like an alien concept. "Slowly this time." He slowly got up, allowing his head to adjust to the motion. Carefully walking across the room, he made it to the door and opened it. While it took him a few seconds, he soon recognized the familiar pattern of rooms. "What am I doing in Kevin's house?"

He heard motion in the next room and slowly walked forward. His steps creaked on the wooden floor. "Zack, you're awake?" Trey said with grogginess in his voice.

"Looks like you just woke up too."

"I've trained myself to sleep very lightly. So, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. None of what happens seems real though."

"You've been though a lot today; it's only natural for your mind to be unwilling to accept it."

"So, do I just go back home?"

"Not yet," Trey said, thinking of the best way to say it, "If you're willing to go on one more adventure, you won't regret it."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. We both need rest."

Zack's curiosity was raised. John was dead now, so what more could they do to stop him? He knew his brother was right when he said that Trey seemed to be hiding something, but what was it? Could he really trust Trey though? After all, he led their army into certain death. He had been leaking information to John. Although, could Zack distrust Trey? They hadn't known each other long, but if it weren't for him, he would be dead. Maybe Trey had somehow saved the army. There were too many questions for someone who had just woken up though, so Zack let his thoughts continue to wander as his head once again hit the pillow.

* * *

The older twin felt like his body was drifting. He couldn't feel anything, and didn't know how to open his eyes, but he heard the faint noise of voices.

"So, what are we doing here?" an impatient youth said.

"Something unusual has happened near here," a man said who seemed to carry much wisdom in his voice. "Can you not sense the disruption?"

"Yea, something seems-"

"Shh."

"What?" the younger voice whispered.

"We aren't alone here. Someone is listening."

"What do we do now?"

"We leave for now."

Zack could tell the two left, and was once again in the realm of sleep and dreams. His still active mind continued cycling through various images. Soon though, his mind finally shut down and he drifted into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

7:29 the clock read as Trey opened his eyes once again. He got off the couch and looked toward the bedroom down the hall. If Zack had recovered as much as he hoped, they would have a busy day in front of them. He wasn't exactly sure how their journey would go, but if necessary, the law could be circumvented.

The black haired teen walked over to the fridge and pulled out some eggs and sausage. A good breakfast would help them get started. The dimensional turned the stove on and tried to crack the egg on the side of a frying pan. After two attempts, the yolk was still in the shell. Trey decided more force was needed so he slammed the egg against the side of the pan, causing it to splatter sticky egg goop all over his hand. That's when he decided a good breakfast was overrated.

"Were you coking breakfast?" Zack said as he walked into the room.

"I was, but not any more." Trey walked over to the faucet and walked the egg of his hand and arm. "If you're hungry, take these," he said tossing Zack a bag of pop tarts.

"Sweet! So what was that adventure you were talking about last night?" Zack asked as he inhaled his food.

"Did Cody ever explain the orbs to you?"

"He had some, but he didn't know much about them himself."

"Did he say anything about the orb of reality?"

Zack tried digging through his memory, but it had been so long ago and so much has happened, it was hard. "I think he said something about needing the four orbs to open a seal or something."

"It was something like that, but he apparently he didn't know the whole story. Did he ever figure out where the seal was located?"

Zack shook his head as he ate the last bit of his breakfast.

"The seal is located in South Dakota. A place now known as Mount Rushmore."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"Zack, the orb or reality was the most powerful weapon ever created by the ancient dimensionals. They knew the power it could possess if in the wrong hands. It even has the power to reverse life and death."

With that, Zack's eyes lit up. If he could get to the orb, he could bring Cody back, he could bring Anton back, and he could even bring his parents back. If that happened, all the pain and suffering they had been through would be worth it.

"It won't be easy Zack, but if you're willing, I'll take you there."

"What's the hold up, let's go," he said heading to the door.

"Um, it will probably take several days to get there, so we need to make sure we're ready."

"It's too bad we don't have Hele. She'd get us there fast."

"Who?"

"The helicopter that Cody and I used to get from California." Happy memories of flying her and scaring his brother filled his mind

"What happened to it?"

"I wasn't good at landing," Zack sheepishly said, "That and it ran out of fuel, so even if we had her, it wouldn't do us much good."

"How long ago and how far from here did you crash it?" Trey asked as he ran the scenarios though his mind. Having a vehicle like that could defiantly make their journey easier, but it might be too late.

"Well, it was two days ago. It was when the Codester and I came in to town." _'The Codester and I won't be going anywhere now. One day ago, he was alive and breathing next to me. We had faced John together. I would have never guessed that I'd be the one still alive after the battle. I thought Cody would be strong enough, and he was, until I got in the way. If I hadn't been so weak and needed saving, then he'd still be alive. If I had been stronger, Cody wouldn't have had to save me from Anton. Both of them would still be alive, but no, I was too weak! I'm such a failure; I couldn't even protect my baby brother!"_

"Zack," the calm voice and the hand on Zack's shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. "You need to stop thinking about Cody, so we can focus on fixing everything. If everything goes right, your family will be back together by the end of the day."

"Okay." The comment about family stayed in the twin's mind. If his real mom and dad came back, what would that mean for Bruce and Victoria? Even while he continued to miss his old parents, he loved his new ones. Was it possible for someone to have two sets of parents? True, he was the biological son of Kurt and Carey, but did that mean that his other family was any less real? He remembered the Christmas at the hotel when he was twelve. Just because his family wasn't normal, didn't mean they didn't love him just as much.

"Well…" Trey's impatient voice once again drew Zack out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. Anyway, it's just outside the south end of the town."

"Well, we should move out as soon as we can," Trey said enthusiastically, hoping to bring the twin out of his depression.

"Okay, I guess so," Zack halfheartedly said as he walked to the door.

"Just remember what lies at the end of this journey."

Zack tried to get his hopes back up, but after all the pain they had experienced recently, he was afraid this would just be another let down. Even so, with the hope of having things return to normal, he had to keep going.

* * *

**A/N: Will Zack be able to make everything normal again, or will their journey be harder than they think? This was originally going to be a lot larger of a chapter, but I decided to split it up into two parts. As always, thanks for reading, and more thanks if you press that review button!**


	27. Chapter 27: Rise of the Black Phoenix

A/N: Some of you have had some questions about Trey and wanted to see him and Zack team up, so you should enjoy this one. Others of you had questions that I "forgot" to reply to, and those will get answered here. This is the longest chapter I have written, so get ready for a mix of action, suspense, emotions, and to question everything you thought you knew... *Evil laugh* And yes, you will find out who the black phoenix is here...

_"Some will win, some will lose  
Some were born to sing the blues  
Oh, the movie never ends  
It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers waiting  
Up and down the boulevard  
Their shadows searching in the night  
Streetlight people  
Living just to find emotion  
Hiding somewhere in the night_

_Don't stop believin'  
Hold on  
Streetlight people_

_Don't stop believin'  
Hold on to that feelin'  
Streetlight people"_

_Don't stop believing, Journey_

**Chapter 27: Rise of the Black Phoenix**

"That's it," Zack said as he saw the damaged blades in the distance. As Trey drove the car closer, they discovered five military personal examining the wreckage. The twin knew the air force wouldn't be willing to give up their vehicle without a fight. Trey however, seemed unfazed by their presence.

"Get ready to fly her away when you get the chance."

"What are you planning?" Zack nervously said. Would they really have to murder innocents just to bring Cody back? He wouldn't want them killing just to bring him back.

"Don't worry Zack, I'm not going to hurt them," he said getting out of the car and walking over to them. "Top of the morning gentlemen."

"What are a couple of kids doing here?"

"Listen kid, just run along, this doesn't concern you."

"Yea, that's where you're wrong," Trey said as he began unleashing his power in the area. A light blue rune appeared beneath each of them and suddenly, the five officers disappeared.

"What did you do to them?" Zack yelled. How could they just disappear like that? We're they dead, or what?

"Don't worry they'll be here perfectly fine, in an hour," Trey said with a smile.

"Wait, what?"

"I was able to send them an hour into the future. We should be long gone by then."

"What else can you do?" The older twin was amazed by Trey's powers and knew that he had the same potential as him since they were both dimensionals. If he and his brother could return to a normal life, he could have a lot of fun with those powers.

"Well, this." Trey began focusing his power on the helicopter, and a vehicle that Zack was quite familiar with replaced the heap of metal.

"How did you do that?"

"I was able to reverse the flow of time. I also placed a seal on the fuel tank so it will never run out."

"Awesome!" Zack continued to be amazed at the power Trey seemed to easily control. An idea came into his mind. "If you can do that with machines, would you be able to do that with Cody?"

"I'm sorry Zack," Trey sighed, "Not even the greatest dimensional can bring the dead back to life. The departure of the soul from the body is something we can't reverse."

"Oh, I see."

"Don't worry, that's why we're going to get the orb of reality."

"Let's go then!" he said enthusiastically. Zack loved flying especially when it meant he'd get to see his brother soon. He jumped into the seat of his favorite helicopter and had it rise into the air while Trey began programming the gps. He was glad to be back in the pilots seat of the most fun vehicle he had ever controlled.

"Okay it's set. I even set it from ground to air mode so it should get us there faster."

"Sweet, where do I go?"

"Turn the vehicle 22.7 degrees clockwise and proceed forward," she said as if on cue.

* * *

The ride went smoothly with Zack deciding he would explore the other buttons on the control. He quickly learned where the machine guns were when he shot down two birds that were flying by. A large red button caught the twin's eye, but when Trey saw where his hand was going, he stopped it.

"What's wrong?"

"That button is for firing missiles."

"How do you know?

"The word missile is right above the button."

"Good point," Zack conceded, letting the button remained unpressed and focusing on the sky ahead of him.

After a few minuets of silence, Zack realized that his companion might be able to shed light on a few questions. "What are the dimensionals?"

"Huh?"

"John called us that several times, but I don't really know what that means."

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

"To put it simply, the dimensionals and elementals are both ancient races that nearly became extinct in a war many centuries ago."

"So there used to be a lot of people like us?"

"There were millions of both. For now, I'm almost certain the only ones still around just have a small trace of the blood that gave them their great powers."

"Like me and Cody?"

"Yea, your dad too. Normally their powers remain hidden, and are only activated when their wielder needs them, and even so, few can learn how to control them. Due to all the fights you two had been in, you had the experience to control them."

"What kind of powers do we have then?"

"Each one is different, but for the most part, dimensionals can be classified as either space or time. Kevin had control over the dimensions of space, allowing him to basically alter where things are and where they are going. That's how he was able to keep us safe from the weapons when we attacked John. Others like you, John, and I have control over the dimension of time. We are able to manipulate the flow of time around us, like how we can accelerate our bodies in the heat of battle. Some can also focus on the energy and turn it into devastating attacks."

"Ah, that's starting to make sense."

"Yea, I know it can be a bit confusing."

"How do the orbs come into play then?" Even though, all this new information was confusing Zack, he knew the knowledge could help him later on.

"During the war, ordinary humans began getting involved, so the most powerful dimensionals crafted the orbs as weapons for the humans to use. That's how the orbs of sight and future were made. Memory and thought were crafted by magnifying the power of dimensionals allowing them to gain new abilities."

"What about the orb of reality?"

"That was the culmination of hundreds of dimensionals powers. The elemental's commander was too powerful for anything they could throw at him, so as a last ditch effort they made the orb of reality and struck him down with it. They knew that the power in it was too much to let fall into the wrong hands, so they placed it in the seal, which can only be unlocked by the other four orbs."

"So, that's why John was trying to gather them?"

"Yea, for a while he told me the story of how he was going to use them to bring peace to the world, but it wasn't long before I saw through his lies. He wanted them out of his desire for power. Unfortunately, he was too strong for me to do anything to stop him. I appeared to help him, until I found someone strong enough to take him down. That's how I met up with Kevin. When I saw the power you and your brother possessed, I knew that might have been our only chance."

"Destination approaching in 26 miles," the helicopter told them.

"Don't you love gps systems?" Zack asked.

"Yea, they get you where you need to go."

"And you can yell at them for being idiots and they don't get mad."

"I guess that's true too."

"Are you ready for this Zack? The seal is heavily guarded, so we better be expecting a few fights."

"I'd fight anyone if it meant I would be getting Cody back."

* * *

The two landed on top of the mountain to the surprise of the many tourists. Attempting to ignore the sounds of the visitors, the dimensionals made their way to the head of Washington.

"Zack, place the orb of sight here." Zack did as he was told and Trey began focusing his power on the orb. "Oh orb of the ancients, open the gate to what we seek" Where the solid rock was, a blue energy started spreading. Soon it was several feet in diameter and Zack noticed the other three orbs glowing brighter than before. "You ready for this Zack?"

"Let's go get my family and friends back." The two of them jumped through the portal and reached a massive underground cavern. The walls of the cave were filled with strange carvings in gold, which somehow gave off light that chased away the darkness. The heat that had pounded them outside was replaced with cool, refreshing air. "Where are we?" the older twin asked as he tried to take in the strange surroundings. He could feel the magnificent power that rested in this place.

"The entrance of the seal. It's been a long time since anyone as stepped foot in here." Their steps echoed as they traveled through the dungeon. As they continued down the spiral corridor, it seemed like they were only going in an endless circle. With each step they took, the foreboding feeling grew stronger. Zack feared what dangers would be ahead, but he knew he'd have to face it. After a while of walking, Trey held out his arm, forcing Zack to stop in his tracks.

"What?"

"You see those up ahead?" Trey whispered.

"Yea the gargoyle statues."

"Those aren't statues."

Zack's eyes widened as he prepared for the coming fight. He grabbed his knife and began harnessing his power. "I can't give you the power I did last time, altering the flow of time that much could kill you."

The twin's confidence started falling. He knew the power he harnessed while fighting John was only the start of what he felt then. In that state, nothing could stop him. "Will I still be strong enough?" he said through a shaky voice.

"Yea, you are getting more powerful. The sword you used should be linked to you now, so use that. Let your body be consumed by your power and you will see that you don't need my help to be strong."

Zack wasn't really sure how to call his weapon, but he tried to remember what it was like to summon it before. He remembered how he used it to attack John, but he didn't even realize he held it until he saw it.

"Concentrate on how the sword felt to hold, on what it was like to wield its power."

Zack did as he was told and as he concentrated his mind on the memories, he saw the blade in his mind. He physically reached out to grab it, and to his surprise, the weapon was once again in his hand.

The two monsters had awoken from their slumber and began running at the dimensionals. The two creatures stood over two meters in length, towering over the dimensionals. Their grey skin perfectly resembled stone along with their lances that were nearly the length of their bodies.

One of them ran at Zack and thrust its lance at the teen, but he used his speed to dodge to the side. He swung his blade at the fiend, but it raised its spear to block it. The gargoyle launched a series of thrusts at Zack, but he used his blade to deflect them, until he was pushed into a corner.

Zack wouldn't allow himself to be beaten at a time like this. There was too much riding on a victory here for him to lose. He allowed his body to be filled with the strength he had harnessed so many times before. He swung his sword at the monster's head, but once again, the spear blocked it, just as he thought it would. Zack swiftly ran around the monsters, and before it could react, sliced the blade across its chest, cutting it in two.

The other monster had charged at Trey, and like the one after Zack, aimed its spear for the dimensionals chest. Trey sidestepped the attack, and then jumped into the air, brining his foot into the fiend's chest. He used the impact to boost his height, and once over the monster, he pounded his fists into the creature's head, sending it rolling along the ground. The monster soon got up though, and charged at Trey once again. The black haired dimensional grabbed the lance and kicked the monster's arm, forcing it to drop the spear. He then thrust the spear through the gargoyle's chest, ending it with its own weapon.

"Let's keep going Zack; things will only get harder from here."

The twin nodded and they continued further in the dungeon. Even though Zack was fighting on his own power, he felt stronger than before. Before he had struggled to take hold of the power, but now it seemed more natural. Maybe now he would be strong enough to not be the weaker twin. Next time he would be stronger.

Even though he had grown stronger, a number of questions continued to plague him.

"What was it that you did to me when I fought John?"

"I merely gave you the experience you lacked. I made it so your body and mind were used to harnessing the full extent of your powers. That's why it seemed so natural."

"Could you have done it to Cody too?"

Trey looked down and closed his eyes for a second. Zack could see the pain in the other teen's eyes.

"Truthfully, yea," he finally responded. "I had hoped that the two of you would be able to build your powers on your own. I let you and David fight, hoping for the same reaction as Cody had, then you could defeat them. When I saw John launch his attack at you, it was too late to save your brother's life. When I saved you and gave you the strength to fight John, it was a big risk. You didn't know it, but it could have killed you."

"So you had planned that for a while?"

"Yea," Trey looked up at all the rocks around them and his mind went though his memory of the time he spent with John. "At first we supported him, admiring his goals to bring peach with the orbs, but it wasn't long when we saw the cruelty he was capable off. By then, it was too late. Even if we tried stopping him, he could over power me before I could stop him. That's why we had to still at least act like we were helping him, until we found someone strong enough to take him down."

"Me and my brother?"

"Yea." The complexity of the situation amazed Zack. From his mom's death two years ago, to Cody being taken from him was all part of John's plan, and even through that, there were those wanting to stop the horrible events. They weren't as alone as much as they thought. Even so, there was still something bugging the twin

"You still could have done something to stop all those innocents from dieing, instead of just going along with what you knew was wrong."

"Do you know what he did to those who betrayed him? If I were found out, it would have been worse than what you did to him. He was a heartless monster."

"You were too afraid to do anything but let them die? You could have at least ran or something. You're just as guilty as him for letting those things happen."

"You might be right Zack." There were times he wanted to run, but he knew what the dangers were. It had taken years to build the trust he had with John, and his leader being suspicious wouldn't help him at all. His alliance with Kevin had been able to bring John down, but if not for the John's compliance with everything so far, he was sure that would have failed. "Death like that is horrible, but sometimes evil must be allowed to continue long enough to stop it for good. I know, sympathetic words to someone whose brother made that sacrifice."

"Cody had given of himself so many times through our journey. Maybe he understood something that I didn't. He didn't hesitate when he took that attack for me. Back in Georgia, when I was nearly shot, Cody saved me. I wish there was someway that no one would have to suffer. I know that's what my brother would want as well."

"Unfortunately, reality is rarely that perfect."

The two continued down the corridors until their path opened into a large room. As before, the golden walls illuminated the room, but it was over 50 meters wide and the ceiling was at least 10 meters high.

"We're getting close," Trey said with excitement in his voice.

"This corridor tell you that?"

"Partly, but more the fact that we've reached the final guard." In the middle of a room, a black dragon rose form it's slumber. It stood on its hind legs and was more than double the height of the twins. It expanded its wings, which were over half the length of its body.

"What do we do?" Zack said jumping back in fear.

"We have to kill it." Trey pulled several daggers out of his pockets. "Be careful, the dark dragons are known for their power."

Zack once again brought his sword to his hand. He gazed at the dragon wondering when it would strike. He had thought that these beasts only existed on TV and in fantasy novels, but never thought he would have to fight one. The monster let loose a terrifying roar that filled the twin's body with fear. His legs started to shake, and thoughts of his own death filled his mind.

No

He might be scared, but he had come too far now. If it meant he had to kill a hundred dragons to have his best friend back, he would do it.

Zack charged at the beast who countered by breathing a stream of fire at him. The twin ran to the side to dodge it, but the monster sent a continual blaze at the teen.

With the dragon distracted, Trey saw his opportunity to strike. He ran to the other side and jumped into the air. The dimensional harnessed his power, forcing space and time to bend to his will. A bolt of lightning appeared in his palm and he blasted the dragon's neck with it.

The beast turned his attention away from the twin and aimed his claw at Trey, who brought forth a metal rod to deflect the blow. He tossed his two daggers at the monster, but they merely bounced off his diamond-hard scales.

Zack ran at the monster once again, but the beast heard him approaching so it aimed his claw at him. The teen raised his blade to block it, but the force of the impact still throws him onto his back. The dragon aimed another stream of fire at him. He struggled to get up and saw the fire quickly approaching him. He tried accelerating his body to run from the fire, but the stream was so wide, and the impact disrupted his powers so he knew he couldn't get out of the way in time. To his surprise, once the flame was close to him, it made a sudden turn of direction for the wall. Zack watched the fire as it danced around the room, shot up and came back down, striking the dragon in the back.

A familiar figure came walking into the room, holding small balls of fire in his hands. "Sorry I'm late."

"Took you long enough," Trey said.

Zack aimed his blade at the new warrior. "You should have stayed away while you had the chance," he said as charged at his mortal enemy. "David, it's time to die."

"Zack stop!" Trey yelled, "He's on our side."

"How is that possible?"

"I'll explain after we kill this dragon."

Zack couldn't understand any of this. David had tried to kill him a number of times, and nearly succeeded more than once. Although, he was just saved by that very person. It didn't make any sense. The dragon rose again, ready to continue the fight. Trey had a point; right now, the important thing was to kill the beast.

David aimed his palms forward and blasted the dragon with his fire, but it didn't seem to hurt the beast much. Trey ran at him, but the monster continued with a fury of flames. The dimensional expected that and harnessed his power, causing the flames to disappear right before striking him. With the dragon being distracted by Trey, Zack saw his opportunity and ran at the monster slicing his blade across its neck.

It jumped into the air, crying out in pain. It's green blood feel to the ground, but the monster would not be beat so easily. It began flapping its powerful wings, sending a might gale at the three. The wind combined with its fire breath, created a near wall of flames in front of them.

"This wind is making it hard to control the fire," David said as he barely had time to redirect several streams of fire right before it hit them.

Zack began concentrating on the energy around him. He reached out, grasping the power of time and gathered it in his hand. He sent a beam of the temporal energy at the monster, disrupting the attack. Trey saw the opportunity and accelerated his body, allowing him to jump onto the beasts back. He found the wound Zack had recently created with his and focused his energy on that. Using that as an opening, Trey was able to fill the dragon with fire and lightning, incinerating its organs. Before the dragon could react, it crashed into the ground.

With the dragon's defeat, the team could relax for a moment, but it wasn't long before Zack's blade was pointed at David. "You have about three seconds to explain before you start losing limbs."

"I understand your concern Zack," the elemental explained quietly, "From your perspective you have every right to kill me."

"You bet I do, but I might as well hear you out."

"Just like Trey, I've been working to bring down John."

"I find it hard to believe that you would be doing that when you nearly killed twice."

"Did I though? I was holding back during both of those fights. If I could make you think your life was in danger, it would awaken your powers faster. By making you stronger, you'd be able to fight John. I never had any intension of killing you."

He wouldn't fall for a trick like this so easily. He couldn't just forget what he had seen and experienced. "Yea, what about in Florida? If Cody hadn't come to save me, then I would have died."

"I admit, that was my mistake. I never thought you would be foolish to run through my flames."

Could it really be that one of his most hated foes was actually on his side? It seemed impossible.

"I didn't really have much of a choice there," Zack said with a slight chuckle, "You did a good job of playing the villain though. Still, why did you fight me in that final battle? Wouldn't it have made more sense for us to take John down then?"

"Yes, but John still possessed the orb of memories. In a matter of seconds, he could erase anything in my mind about going against him. If that happened, the odds of either of you dieing would have been much greater."

"Even though Cody did die," Zack said looking down. David walked over to the young dimensional and rested placed his hand on the teen's shoulder.

"We're almost there Zack; I promise I'll help reunite you and your brother. After all I've done to you, I figure I owe you that much."

"Come on guys, let's go," Trey said. He was already a good portion into the next tunnel.

"Guess we better hurry," Zack said.

"You got it."

Zack couldn't believe the group he was traveling with, two of John's most trusted underlings, who he would have killed if he had the chance a day ago. One of them nearly killed him, but if not for their help, he wouldn't be this close to having his brother back. In fact, he'd probably be dead now.

"The next opening should be the seal. That dragon was the last guard here."

"I still can't believe you two were on our side, especially when the two of you were fighting each other back there."

"That was a fun battle," Trey said.

"Yea, we had to make it convincing for John, but we know the extent of each other's powers," Trey said.

"When the time came, I was to fall and flee the battle. Our original plan was for me to meet up with him after the fight, but he had fled with you. When I couldn't find Trey anywhere after the fight, I figured he must have come here."

"This is so weird. How did you make it so realistic though?"

"A lot of good planning," David said.

Remember when it looked like he was going to finish you off after John killed your brother?"

Zack nodded.

"When he said 'Now die," that was actually my cue to join the fight and save you."

"I never thought I'd have guardians in such strange places," the twin said in amazement.

"Just remember, when you think you're alone, you're not. We're with you here Zack."

After a few more minuets of traveling, the finally came upon the seal. Their path once again opened up reveling the alter before them. A finely crafted marble staircase lead to a golden platform. In the middle of the platform, a stand held a golden orb on it, surrounded by three smaller stands that looked as if they were meant to hold similar orbs to those in the middle. Each of the stands were gold with finally crafted gems lining them. Even from a distance, the dimensionals could feel the power radiating from the orb.

"That's the seal Zack. Place the three orbs on the stand and it should release the seal on the orb of reality. Once you have the final orb, channel your will through it and it should work."

"Got it Trey."

The older twin walked toward the alter, his knees shaking from the excitement. Soon everything would be back to normal. He placed the orb of future on the nearest stand. The space around him seemed to shake as its power was channeled into the alter. Once he placed the other two in their respective places, and the alter began growing even brighter. The three outer stands shot a burst of white light into the air, which circled the golden platform. David and Trey looked on in awe at the sights before him while Zack stood in the middle of the lights.

After a few seconds, the three burst of light collided into the middle stand, breaking the seal that existed on the final orb for many centuries. Zack reached out and grabbed it. He could feel the tremendous power that rested beneath its surface, and knew it had the power to give him what he desired. Zack filled his thoughts with all his memories of Cody, from the earliest memories of his brother to the last time he saw him alive. Soon the incantation came naturally to him.

"Oh mighty power of the ancients, I call upon thy might." The orb began glowing. "Boundaries of space, time, and beyond, bend to my will. Barrier of death, shatter before me. Return to me, Cody Martin."

Zack couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a figure that made him think he was looking into a mirror standing before him. The green eyes from the younger twin opened, with a life in them that Zack feared he would never see again. Tears began pouring down Zack's face as he rushed across the platform embracing his brother in a hug. "Cody, it-it's really you."

Cody looked around trying to take in the setting around him. Nothing seemed familer. "Where am I?"

Those words struck Zack in the heart. Had Cody really lost his memory? Was it only partly gone? Would it come back? Zack feared the answers to these questions, but perhaps there was still hope. "Do you remember me?"

"Of course, you're my goofball brother Zack, but..." The last thing he remembered, he was fighting John. He saw Zack was in danger and ran to block the attack, but now, he had no idea where he was. Why was Zack hugging him like this?"What happened? Where's John?"

So it was just the events in their last battle. "You don't remember?"

The younger twin shook his head. "Last I remember we were fighting David and John. John launched the attack at you, and I knew I had to stop it." He looked down from the platform and saw David and Trey. Instantly, anger filled his body so he broke free from his brother's hug and prepared to unleash his destructive powers, but to his surprise, nothing happened.

Zack saw the rage in his brother's eyes, so he reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Calm down Cody, they're on are side."

"What?"

"You died bro. They helped me bring you back."

Before Zack had a chance to explain further, a massive burst of energy came from where the orb of reality was sitting, incinerating all the orbs. The explosion knocked the twins off the platform and to their companions before. They looked up and saw a figure standing on the alter.

"It can't be," Trey said softly, "Hakalahs."

"Who?" The figure had long black hair flowing down his back. His attire seemed to resemble a medieval warrior, with light armor covering his chest and legs.

"The ancient leader of the elemental army. Hakalahs, also known as the black phoenix," Trey answered solemnly. "It seems that the orb of reality merely sealed him away, instead of killing him. His power is said to be beyond anything a mortal can imagine."

"So, that means we have to fight him?" Zack asked as he brought forth his sword. He didn't care what power this foe possessed, he wouldn't let them take Cody from him.

"No," David said shaking his head. "This is our fight."

Fire came from the air around them and flew at the four. David jumped in front of it and deflected the attack. "Cody is too weak to do anything here, so you have to get him out of here," Trey instructed as he pulled out his knife and ran to aid his friend.

Zack wanted to stay behind and fight, letting Cody run, but he knew that would still e dangerous for his brother. If there were any other monsters on the way out, he'd need to protect his twin. After all this time, he wasn't going to lose Cody again. He'd have to trust that his new friends could handle the battle. "You sure about this?" Zack asked as he began backing away.

"Yea," Trey confidently answered, "It's been a while since we've had a real challenge, and he should still be weak from just waking up."

With that, the twins left the battlefield. Cody hated running, but he knew if he stayed, he would be an easy target. He knew that if he faught then, he'd only slow them down. He tried reaching his powers, and could feel only a small glimmer of what they once were. After everything they went through to bring him back, he couldn't just waste that life.

Cody was curious at all the events that had transpired since his death. Two of his enemies were now fighting to keep him and his brother safe. Had Zack been able to stop John by himself, or was he just lucky to get away unharmed? Had they found ways to bring their other friends back? Was any of the army still alive?

Flashes of fire and loud explosions filled the space behind them as they tried running. However, Cody's fatigue caught up with him after only a moment of running. "I'm sorry to slow you down," he said as his brother helped him up.

"Not a problem, we just have to get out of here."

"Yea, but I can barely walk."

"I have an idea." A smile came across Zack's face.

"Do I want to know what it is?"

Zack got down on his knees. "Hop on bro."

"You've got to be kidding me." It had been years since they traveled like that.

"Just get on and shut up before I decide to stop being nice."

Cody couldn't resist his brother's offer, especially considering how exhausted he was. After climbing on Zack's shoulders, he held on tight as the older twin harnessed his powers.

Zack sprinted, trying to stay balanced with the extra weight on his shoulders. He harnessed as much of his power as he could and burst through the dungeon. What took them over and hour to get through before only took him 10 minuets now.

After that burst of speed, both twins found themselves lying on top of Mount Rushmore and tired.

"Okay, so what is the plan now?"

Zack pointed to the helicopter that was sitting close to them.

"I should have known. Nothing can separate you from your toys."

"Exactly, now get in and set the gps for 625 Northern Drive, Boston. We're going home."

"Sound good to me Zack."

They were finally able to breathe easily, for the first time in many weeks. They were still worried about Trey and David, but they hoped they'd see them again. It had been a hard journey, but it was finally over.

"Thanks for saving me Zack."

"Cody, you know I'd do anything for you. No matter what the world throws at us to separate us, we will never be apart."

* * *

A/N: Five months ago I had an idea for a fic, and had no idea where it would go. Today I finally finish what I believe to be my greatest fic. I sincerely want to thank you for all of your support through this. I feel I've improved a lot as an author through writing this. I've never written anything as dark as this before, but I'm happily surprised by the results, so I hope you've enjoyed it.

This final chapter was a lot of fun to write. After the fun Zack had with his helicopter, I knew I had to bring it back. What did you think of Trey's powers though? This is the first time I've written for a character like him, and getting into his mysterious past was fun. I'm considering explaining how I came up with the characters of Trey and David in a lost chapter if you are interested. I also plan on doing an epilogue which will tie a few things together and will get that up soon, but there are parts where I will let you decide. I had considered brining more of his family and friends back, like I hinted at earlier, but I felt like that was too perfect, and with this fic, I've tried to make it as realistic as possible for a fantasy story.

If you have any questions about the plot or the dimensionals or something, feel free to ask. Since I came up with much of it, I don't need explaining, but that means I might have left out key parts for the readers, or I might have overlooked something obvious. Ask and I'll try explaining, and if I don't know the answer, I'll make it up.

Also, the song for this chapter, "Don't stop believing", was our high school class song, so thought it was fitting for the end of this story. As always, please review, those reviews are cherished forever and for always, at least for a time.


	28. Chapter 28: Epilogue

_"Beauty for ashes, joy for my pain  
You've given me wings to fly again  
Strength for today, a dance for my sorrows  
Because of you, because of you..."_

**Epilogue**

The early morning sunlight filtered into the room, gently stirring Zack Martin from his sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at the clock that sat beside his bed and saw it read 6:30. He could go back to sleep for a while, but he knew his alarm would wake him up soon enough. It surprised him, but he actually looked forward to what the day would bring. After all the crazy adventures of the summer, returning to school would bring everything back to normal.

Zack got out of bed and walked over to the closet, careful to dodge the various objects that littered his room. He thought about turning the lights on to guide his path, but didn't want to wake his brother, who was still sound asleep. After getting changed, he walked down to the kitchen to see what breakfast awaited them.

"Morning Zack," his new mom greeted him.

"Morning."

"You ready for school?"

"Yea, it's nice to finally get back to normal, even if it does mean school. Besides, Cody seems really excited about it."

"He's been working hard since you came back to get ready."

"Yea, normally I'd make fun of him for studying so hard during the summer, but he missed so much. He'll do great though."

"I know I'll do great in third grade!" Zack's sister blurted out through bites of her cereal.

"I'm sure you will honey."

"What's going on down here?" Cody said greeting his new family.

"Not much bro, just talking about school starting."

"Cody, Bruce wanted to remind you that we have a meeting with the attorneys to finalize your adoption."

"Tonight at six, right?"

"Yea, come on Ash, it's time for me to take you to school."

"Okay! Bye Zack! Bye Cody!" the energetic eight year old excitedly said as she ran toward to door.

"We'll take the helicopter soon," Zack said, earning a glare from Victoria. "Come on, it was a joke, mostly."

"I still say we should get rid of it, it takes up nearly all the room in our garage."

"Come on, how cool is it to have a helicopter? If we go to Chicago again for Christmas, it will only take a couple hours."

"And a few near death experiences," his brother quietly added.

"We'll think about it," she said leaving the house.

"That was so cool how you landed it in the backyard," Ashly said as she fought with her backpack

"You got to admit Cody, that was fun."

"Yea it was."

* * *

**Two months ago**

"Zack, your house is only half a mile away."

"So that means I need to land this thing."

"Don't crash this time."

"Hey I only did that once. This time I know what buttons not to press." Zack aimed the vehicle downward and it began its decent.

* * *

"Look Ash, there's a helicopter."

"Wow, Scarlet, that is so cool. Y'know I think it's landing."

"Think we should run?"

"Nah, it's not going to crash here."

* * *

"Zack, slow this thing down!"

"I did, that's why it's crashing!"

"Then speed it up!"

The helicopter started slowing as it fell, eventually gently landing in the grass, much to the surprise of the two kids playing in the yard.

* * *

"I think you should get your mom…"

"Yea…"

* * *

"Mom! Mom! Mom!"

"What is it Ashley?"

"The helicopter, and it came down and down and we thought it was just flying but then it fell and we ran and it's in the yard and, there is a helicopter in the back yard!"

"Calm down, I'm sure it's just all the sugar you've had lately.

"But, there really is a helicopter. I saw it with my own two eyes." She pointed to her eyes for emphasis.

"Actually, she's telling the truth."

"Told you, Zack agrees with… Oh my gosh, Zack!" Zack's leg was soon embraced by his sister's embrace. Victoria quickly ran over to hug him too and started asking him a million questions. Cody stood at the door, wondering what he should do. They weren't his family, but the loving reception Zack received made him jealous.

"Is that your brother?" Ash asked as she pulled away from Zack.

"Yea, sorry about the crash landing. Zack hasn't gotten that part down yet."

"Cody! It's so good to see you." Victoria embraced him in the same hug she had just given to his brother.

"You mind if he stays here for a while?" Zack asked. "He doesn't really have anywhere else to go."

"Of course you can stay, our offer still stands What happened to you though?"

The twins weren't certain how they should respond. They didn't want to lie, but revealing everything they had been through might be unwise. "It's a long story," Cody simply stated.

"Oh, I see. You two have gone through a lot in the past month, haven't you?"

They both nodded.

"Well Cody, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need."

"Thank you very much."

"Well we can't just turn away Zack's brother. We might want to do something about the helicopter in the back yard though."

* * *

**Present**

"You ready for school?" Cody asked as he finished the last bit of his breakfast.

"Almost, I can't believe I almost forgot it." Zack ran up to his room grabbing a notepad off his desk and putting it into his backpack. As the older twin ran back down, they saw a bright yellow vehicle drive by their house.

"Um, that's not good," Cody said as he ran through the list of possibilities in his mind.

"Well, we haven't had any good practice for a while, and we can't let our powers get rusty."

"What if people see us?"

"Then we just need to run fast enough they won't be able to figure out who it was," Zack said, excited to be using his powers again. While they practiced some of the basics, he enjoyed any chance he had to fully unleash them.

"Alright, let's go." The two left their house and gathered their power in their body. Soon they ran at a speed that none could follow. Even though the bus was nearly a mile away by the time they left, they still beat it to the next stop.

They got on and found one of the few empty seats. Cody nudged his brother and asked him to get out the notebook. "How long?"

"0 pages, 6 lines and 2 marks, 62 days. The best 62 days of my life."

"Yep, mine too."

"I hope ya'll are ready for the start of a new year," the bus driver said as he pulled away from the stop.

_"...Shades of grey turn to color  
Dark of night breaks to day.  
_  
_It's a new day, it's a new day  
Shadows rise at the glory of the son.  
It's a new day, it's a new day  
The past has gone and life has just begun"_

_It's a new Day, Hillsong_

A/N: Now it is officially over. I thought about adding a couple other things to this, but this is enough. Now, this is officially finished. I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed this, but a few people deserve special thanks.

Elianna22: Thank you so much for reviewing every chapter of this. The conversations we had about this really helped me and fueled my ideas.

WoundedHearts: I've really enjoyed discussing various ideas about this, and I like how you come up with creative guesses for what I have planned

RoxAne-mrau: Thank you for reading and reviewing every single chapter

RennnnnySprouse: Thanks for reading and reviewing nearly every chapter I've posted here.

cailey: Since you reviewed annonomusly, I'll include my reply here. Thanks so much for the compliments, it really means a lot. If the creators see this story and want to do something with it, I wouldn't mind. I hope it enjoyed this epilogue even if it didn't include everything you asked for.

Wynstinero: Thanks so much for reading every chapter. You questions gave me a few ideas and made sure I didn't overlook something important

Kulmanari: I especially value your input for this. You've inspired me to write for suite life and oftentimes I looked to your works when I was stuck on a scene. I'm sure your busy in Iraq so I'm honored that you were able to take the time to read and review.

If I forgot someone, sorry, I'm going on little sleep and don't have much time. This is the official end of Separated, but I am planning a one-shot sequel/prequel that will be in WoundedHeart's holiday collection. I plan to work more on Red soon, and a new fic called "domino effect" so I hope you will also read those. Merry Christmas!


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